If you think that the United States is the place where the most number of cosmetic surgeries in the world happen, think again. Surprisingly, the cosmetic capital of the world is located in Asia – in South Korea! The numbers do not lie and in the Gangnam district in South Korea alone, there exist around 500 aesthetic clinics. And the reason behind the great number of treatment centers that offer plastic surgery services is because the demand in that specific place in the world is quite high. In the year 2014 alone, there has been a recorded 980,000 procedures done in South Korea by registered plastic surgeons, which translates to an average of 20 out of 1000 people undergoing a procedure, thus beating the United States’ 13 to 1000 average. This scenario has been going on since the year 2009. If you are wondering why this Asian country has this much plastic surgery happening, which made it the plastic surgery capital in the world, you need to examine the top procedures to satisfy your curiosity behind the data.
East Asia Blepharoplasty
The most famous procedure done in plastic surgery centers in Korea is blepharoplasty, specifically East Asia blepharoplasty that’s also commonly called the double-eyelid cosmetic procedure. Koreans, just like some other inhabitants from neighboring Asian countries have monolid eyes, meaning there is an absence of the usual eyelid crease. Some experts suggest that the high demand for this type of procedure in South Korea is because patients, most of whom are women, view a defined eyelid crease, as a sign of beauty. While others say that the pressure stems from the Western influence of what beauty should look like. In reality, each race has their own defining beauty and appeal. However, for some Koreans (a lot actually, looking at the numbers mentioned) and other Asians, the beauty they want can never be achieved without that specific facial feature of having double eyelid. There is this idea that their natural monolid eyes always signify that they are always unhappy and tired, and a blepharoplasty can fix that by making their eyes not just bigger but livelier as well.
Blepharoplasty is done by a trained professional by first making an incision on each of the upper eyelid, and then he or she will make the necessary adjustment to create a double lid before finally closing the incisions. There are also the options of a partial incision, as well as a no-incision method.
Rhinoplasty
Like many other Asian races, Koreans are born with noses that are small and have low bridges. Some see this as a flaw, and to correct them they get rhinoplasty procedures done, or what is simply called a nose job. Since their noses are also quite small, the procedure commonly calls for just an addition to the bridge of the nose to make it high and defined. Koreans do not really target a Western looking nose, but rather they are after noses that look more prominent since a higher nose bridge can make the face have a more aligned appearance. If you notice how Koreans do their makeup, they do not put too much definition to their nose bridge like how Westerners do it, they are satisfied with the effect of a rhinoplasty has given them.
V-Line Jaw Reduction Surgery
Yes, this is definitely a cosmetic procedure, and yes, it is very popular in South Korea. You may have seen some examples of Koreans with wide jaws who end up having a narrow looking jaw after a procedure, it’s because doctors have reduced their jaw. What is shockingly amazing about this procedure is that it’s done by literally shaving off ones mandible to make it narrower. Some plastic surgery centers even display jaw shavings, which we assume is some sort of a marketing tactic. And if you are wondering what a ‘V-Line’ is, it’s actually the face shape that is trending and therefore wants to be achieved by a lot of Koreans. A V-line face looks slimmer and gives women a more delicate look.
Looking at the most popular cosmetic procedures in South Korea, it gives you an idea that they want to look more ‘Westernized’, which Alfred “Haeppy” Leung, a YouTuber based in Seoul does not agree with. He disagrees because the look that Koreans are after is not to look like how Caucasians appear at all. He points out that the double eyelid demand is because Koreans simply want to have bigger eyes that are so rare in Asian cultures, but not necessarily targets Western looking eyes. With regard to rhinoplasty, procedures done are not to get Caucasian looking ones, just a higher nose bridge.
