SHANGHAI, Aug 12, 2009 (AFP) - A group of Chinese women who travelled to South Korea for cosmetic surgery baffled immigration officers on their return home when their new looks did not match their passport photos.

The 23 women, who were aged between 36 and 54, had bigger eyes, higher noses and slimmer chins than shown in their passports, the English-language China Daily reported Wednesday 12 August.

"After they took off their huge hats and big sunglasses following our request, we saw them looking different, with bandages and stitches here and there," Shanghai Hongqiao Airport officer Chen Tao told the paper.

"We had to compare their uncorrected parts with their photos very carefully," he said.

The identification process on Sunday 9 August took several minutes per woman, instead of the usual average of 45 seconds.

"They told the officers that they are friends and that they had gone to South Korea together to have cosmetic surgery," Chen said.

"After they passed the identification, we asked them all to renew their passports immediately," he told the daily.

Increasing prosperity in China has led to a corresponding rise in the numbers of people seeking cosmetic surgery, and greater social acceptance of the procedures.