The reason why four balloons had to be implanted into this woman's face

A young woman has had four balloons inserted beneath the skin around her head in a bid to remove a huge, dangerous birthmark stretching across her face.

Xiao Yan, 23, from Guizhou, China, was born with the birthmark that covers half of her face.

After complaining of severe pain last year, doctors believed the huge mole, known as melanocytic nevus, could become cancerous, Pear Video reported.

In need of facial skin tissue for a graft to cover the wound once the mole is removed, doctors decided to insert four expanding balloons around her face in a bid to grow extra skin.

Twice a week, the balloons are filled with liquid, expanding them and leaving them protruding from her head.

Despite her extremely misshaped face, the brave woman still maintains her normal life by simply wearing a hood in public. She is planning to have her new face in just a few months.

Unable to afford her treatment in Shanghai, her family has managed to raise the funds from villagers in their small community in Longjing.

"I used to feel sorry for myself," she revealed.

"But I've grown up under the support of my family and now I'm much more positive."

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Images of her peculiar treatment have gone viral across Chinese social media with thousands offering words of support for Xiao Yan.

Many users across Weibo have likened her appearance to that of a gourd fruit due to its lumped appearance.