Cosmetic Surgery Trends in Asians

[Tevin Illithane]

Until today, I didn't really realize that I had what's considered a double-fold eyelid; as a white, Northern European-descended individual, this is pretty much the rule. I've known that the Asian and Western eyes were different structurally since, oh...age 6, long before I had even met someone of Asian descent. I knew that the folds of skin around the eyes were different for the two ethnicities(with Asians having thicker folds), but not that it manifested itself into double- or single-lidded eyes. Considering how much I am entrenched in the East Asian culture and interact with people of that descendence, it's pretty sad to have not realized it before.


But, anyway, before I go on a tanget, I recently came across a site discussing cosmetic surgery trends in South Korea, in particular double-fold eyelid surgeries(that is, cutting the eyelid so that it creates a fold when it retracts). The statistic that I've seen quoted that 50%+ of Korean women in their 20s have had some form of cosmetic surgery, with a vast majority of those being double-fold eyelid surgery. In SK, it's become almost as common to get this surgery as it is to get braces, as one commented. And it's not like it's a long, difficult procedure- roughly 15mins to do the actual surgery, and a few days to a week of recovery as the swelling reduces.


With this amazing amount of procedures being done and the laissez-faire attitude towards it, it's interesting to note the reasons behind them.

With many people, including many older men and women, it is done to give the eyes a more youthful appearance, as the eyes become saggy and "tired-looking"; very similar to the reasons why many Westerners now flock to eye lifts and Botox injections around the brows, when you look at it. Also, many of the responses to this question was, especially when put towards young(mid-teens to early twenties) Korean women, was that having this double-fold eyelid surgery made them feel more beautiful. Women also tended to comment that the surgery made it much easier to apply eye makeup.

This eyelid procedure is often coupled with other fairly common procedures like nose building(that is, raising the bridge of the nose so that it reaches the forehead[commonly favoured in Mongoloid-backgrounded individuals, whose noses tend to fall short of that mark]) and chin sculpting(this gives the chin more definition, as sometimes the chin looks as one with the neck). These are often done in one go as a full-out makeover, and can provide a very startling and dramatic change in one's appearances.

Many would say that they are trying to look more "Western" in their appearances. But, in Asian populations, the double-fold eyelid is found in roughly half of the population(I do not know if there is a greater tendency in certain nationalities over others), albeit less pronounced than in European-descended individuals, so these "Western" eyes aren't truly "Western" and are a feature found naturally among the Asian populations. And when asked if they are trying to appear more Western, it is more often the rule than not for the reply to be no, that the double-fold eyelid merely makes them feel better about themselves and their appearance.


But these replies bring up an interesting notion -> Are Western looks becoming the model of beauty in the Asian nations, particularly in the lighter-skinned Far Eastern populations that can pull off a "Western" look easier, and that Asian women are following these notions of beauty sub-consciously due to the influx of Western media?


Personally, I think there are some trends in Asia to follow a more "Western" look, but overall I feel they are merely enhancing a definite and distinct "Asian" look with many of these procedures. Looking at J-pop/K-pop singers, easily those who are targeted with the accusation of "Westernization" the most, they oft have a distinctly Asian look, and very little in common appearance-wise to a model of European or African descent.



But what's everyone else's take on this? I know a vast majority of the people here are Asian-descended on at least one side of the family; I am interested in seeing how you all feel about this trend, if the assumptions of "Westernization" hold merit, if Western looks have become a sort of guideline for women around the world.

[Ender]

Do you have the link to the website?

[Dec]

But, anyway, before I go on a tanget, I recently came across a site discussing cosmetic surgery trends in South Korea, in particular double-fold eyelid surgeries(that is, cutting the eyelid so that it creates a fold when it retracts). The statistic that I've seen quoted that 50%+ of Korean women in their 20s have had some form of cosmetic surgery, with a vast majority of those being double-fold eyelid surgery.

I think the percentage of people with a certain look is quite different from one country to the next in Asia.

Anyways, if they think it looks good that way, why not. But if they want to look that way because it makes them more white, that's just stupid.

For plastic surgery in general, what if you marry someone who had plastic surgery and you think is good looking, but the kid you guys have looks like a freak o.O

[SketchBubble]

That's true i'm south korean and a lot of people do have that double fold eyelid surgery thing. I'm even sure that all kpop singers has to have that surgery done. My grandma even said I had to do it or I won't get a job but she phrased it wrong or meant something else i'm not sure still. It's a pretty common thing for both sexes. Though as to why I don't know all I know that's it's been awhile it's pop culture now.

[anonymous_her]

aiy i dont really have a comment on this but i agree with Dec's "For plastic surgery in general, what if you marry someone who had plastic surgery and you think is good looking, but the kid you guys have looks like a freak o.O" and yea..though my eyes are already double folded evn if my eyes were single folded, i wouldnt go for the surgery to change how i look like.

[Genericname57]

*Scratching my head while trying to keep this as non-racist as possible*

I might be missing the point, but I really don't see the difference. I do tend to think asian women are attractive (as well as other ethicities), but I usually try to look through the physical and possible carnal beauty. I may warant someone a second look on the street, but unless I know how they act, that is pretty much the end of whatever grabs me until I know what their personality it like. The only ethicity that has detracted in relation to me is American women because the women here are quite commonly spoiled and could be considered feminazis (not all of them, but a large number).

But that could just be the demographic where I live.
GN57

[lufia]

if you feel good in the outside you feel better in the inside, tha sad truth

[SketchBubble]

I have to get the surgery as well after high school. I asked my sister why i had to do it too. It turns out that asian eyelids fold inwards so eventually the eyelashes go inside. So yeah.

[Black_Lotus]

All I have to say on the subject:

Asian women are f'ing hawt.

I'm glad I have one of my own.

[Darkside]

if you feel good in the outside you feel better in the inside, tha sad truth

I can't accept that. That sort of idea pisses me off. In order to feel "good" one must have some feeling of worth, as I see it. Even the ugliest man will feel good about himself if he is the smartest. People will respect this person and come to him for his intelligence and mental prowess. We all need to have a feeling of worth in society, it works along with the herd mentality that we as "sheople" are prone to suffer.

People who change their looks in order to feel good about themselves do so because they wish to be viewed in a specific manner in society. Usually they wish to have a more appealing look that the majority will appreciate and applaud. When it comes down to having to make oneself feel better by a process of surgically changing the outward appearance it would seem that these people are the lowest of the lows. They could not find worth on their own merit, so they played off the social norms in order to reach a level of acceptance and worth in the group without doing anything more than wasting money on a cosmetic surgeon. It seems a bit pathetic to me.

I won't go on, I'd hate to bore everyone when I've not yet broken the single digits in my post count. I would like to make a disclaimer and state that I don't frown upon cosmetic surgery entirely. I just find myself disgusted when someone has to change their eyelids, breast size, facial structure or anything of that sort in order to feel better about themselves. It makes me angry, simply.

Darkside

[Potato]

Hmm...

well how do you feel about haircuts?

[Darkside]

Hmm...

well how do you feel about haircuts?

I would consider that a categorical error. Haircuts are different than the subject of my above post for obvious reasons.

Darkside

[SketchBubble]

Well I can't help it if i don't want my eyelashes to fold inside to my eyes whenever i'm awake.

[Ender]

I love breasts. If i got breast implants I would never leave the house. Since I don't have much money, I'll only be able to get one. That's ok, I only need one. And I would probably get it on my back. I sleep on my stomach and I wouldn't want to squish it too much.

[Django]

I love breasts. If i got breast implants I would never leave the house. Since I don't have much money, I'll only be able to get one. That's ok, I only need one. And I would probably get it on my back. I sleep on my stomach and I wouldn't want to squish it too much.

That sounds... wonderful... j/k

Well, I don't really get why this nonsense is so popular. I mean, they're just eyelids.

Lookie here, I'm an asian with a double eyelid. Yes, eyelid. Not lids. my other eye has a single eyelid. And I don't care. XP. Funny enough, they both either become single or both double when I get really sick.

[Eun_Chan]

Well I can't help it if i don't want my eyelashes to fold inside to my eyes whenever i'm awake.

Wow.

I know "flaming" is like " " here, but yeah, I'm sorry, but I just HAVE to say that THAT is the STUPIDEST, but at the same time, FUNNIEST thing I've seen all day. *shakes head at some people's seemingly inate stupidity*

Kind of makes me feel bad that I'm also Korean.

[hellchan]

I think that the reason Western women are being the 'model' of beauty around the world is that Asians generally have a lower self confidence level in relation to Westerners. An Asian myself, I notice they tend to have a ''respect the white man'' mindset ingrained into them. I do not particularly look up to any race myself, as I believe respect comes with merit.

Aseans tend to look up a lot to them in everything they do, from style of clothing (eg, trying to look hip hop , which I think looks ridiculous on aseans ) to accent ( trying to fake a british accent, thinking it makes them sexy when they end up sounding like a troll instead )

So I guess that would apply in cosmetics as well , surgery etc, I do see a lot of people from where I'm from with cosmetic surgery nosejobs, altered jaws surgery to make their eyes look bigger ( look at Ayumi Hamasaki..) etc etc ( sorry Im not to sure about the technical terms )

But the most blatant example would be dyeing their hair blonde.....( not surgery I know. but heck you get the idea

[rice_baby]

I mean the double eyelid issue has been around for quite sometime. I remember people were getting them done when I was still young (~20ish years ago >.>). The usual reason I hear about getting the surgery is to make the eyes appear larger, something that most asian women getting the surgery feel they are lacking in. I mean, they even have tapes and glues you can use temporarily to give yourself the double eye lid look. This is not to say that all asians are single eye lids.

But I supposed this type of body modification is similar to things such as orthodontics for that one crooked tooth or veneer teeth to get that porceline white look. A few years ago getting your make up tatooed on your skin was the thing as well.

Maybe asian women are just trying to break away from that psychological image created by children's playground talk (verson varies):
"Chinese"
"Japanese"
"Dirty knees"
"Look at these"

[DNAbasket]

Actually i agree with hellchan on this. Asians kinda have a lower selfimage of themselves (well not everyone obviously) and look up to westerners. Though the idea of getting surgery just for double eyelids does seem silly to me, but heck probably majority of my friends would do it at the drop of a hat.
Try surviving with one eye of each.. like i have.

[hitomirou]

yo! SketchBubble

안녕하세요!
한극에서날씨가어때요?
나는한극어을공부했어요. 그러나, 부척어려워요!

cosmetic surgery is quite popular in japan, korea, philippines, thailand, lebanon... but i dunno about other asian countries! asia quite big, if not the biggest and the most populous continent!!! and the east asian block is not representative of all asia, of course.

i think it's beyond being white. for example, whitening products are very common in japan and the philippines, but they exactly want to look white, like a caucasian? i think they're opting for a pearly white asian skin that's conceived as very beautiful and elite. those having their eyelids corrected are not necessarily wanting to be caucasian, maybe just a little obssesed with having bigger, brighter and more expressive eyes. too bad my eyes are too big, i need to make them smaller so that i'll like the typical asian stereotype!!!i feel like an outsider in my own country!!! haha, just kidding...

they say the best cosmetic surgery procedures are in lebanon, i might go there...

oily skin, blackheads and a few pimples are also a big in southeast asian countries. and dermabrasion, obagi peels, and whatever chemical, electrical treatment are also quite big. we can't seem to get away from the obsessive clutches of perfection, can we?

i remember back when i was japan, the other asian girls were forcing me wear make up and have a make over. i know it's important to care for your looks. but make up is damn expensive in tokyo and im living on stipends!!! i didn't even know japanese back then, and for my survival, i perceived language skills more important than make up and beauty.

im neither ugly nor beautiful. but i do want to look better. yes, i do want to have my pock marks removed. ( i suffered for acnes way back... waaahhh!!!) and it has greatly affected my self confidence. and yes, my big eyes and wavy hair were detrimental to my self image as well. i'm not shunning cosmetic surgery. it might be necessary for some people but i hope that the whole population won't be too obsessive about it....

PS: i have this friend who's forcing me to buy her whitening pills and whitening soap to cure my sleep disorder and depressive symptoms. oh c'mon! whitening pills will not solve anything, besides, im not that dark. and my depressive symptoms are none of the asian beauty business conglomerates' business!

[Black_Lotus]

Nothing wrong with fake boobs.

[linna_yamazaki_lover]

Not sure if the last few post were going off-topic.
The thread is about the general cosmetic surgery thing or merely about the eye lids??

I do remember I wasn't interested in this surgery, but when I was in Korea, my parents (mainly my dad) often tried to convince me to do some cosmetic surgery (my eyes are very small, and eye lids are...covering my eyes for 80%, making it appear I'm asleep >_<;;).

I did hear that lots of University girls go out during break, and come back with their eye-lids surgeried (is this a correct word verb?).
I could not find any doctors who do these things (my Korean is very bad), but someone told me there are like several of these cosmetic surgery buildings every ..ahmm block?

I have to tell: Korean girls are very very hot!! Even without cosmetic surgery, they are already good looking.

[perinita]

post deleted.

[joythsana]

What to know before getting plastic surgery? I will be getting plastic surgery soon to hide some scars and I was just wondering what to know before getting it, And what can and can't do after. Please only answer if you know what you are talking about or know somebody with experience.
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