She asked me what I did for a living. When I told her I was a writer, she frowned and said a new nose could help me find a better job.

"Your nose is too flat. A well-shaped nose commands respect," said the consultant. "Businessmen come in to get more prominent noses. And ladies have better chances in both career and love after their operations."

I was in one of the biggest cosmetic surgery hospitals in China, located in the southern city of Shenzhen, where over half the population is made up of migrants from other parts of the country. Most of them are here for factory or construction work, but many long for better prospects.

A nose job costs around $2,900 at this hospital, which is a bargain compared to the average cost of rhinoplasty in the US of $4,500, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. But when the average yearly income for urban residents in China is just $7,000 and the average monthly pay for a migrant worker a measly $40, a nose job would take years for most people to save up for.

Yet cosmetic surgery is an investment more and more Chinese women from all rungs of society are splashing out on, according to new research from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. And it's not all about vanity. Those who go under the knife usually believe surgery would improve all aspects of their lives.