Korean beauty standards are a distinct feature of Korean culture. In 2015, South Korea became the only Eastern Asia country (among many European and American countries like Brazil, US, Italy, Colombia, and others) that entered into the top 10 "countries with the highest rate of cosmetic surgeries" in the world based on the global survey by ISAPS (the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons). Examples of Korean beauty criteria include slimness, a small, V-shaped face, double eyelids that exemplify innocence, and spotless skin that is bright and white with a bit golden undertone.
Cosmetic surgery began during the Korean War, in the 1950s, as doctors performed reconstructive surgeries on soldiers whose faces sustained injuries. Soon enough, prostitutes became clients of cosmetic surgery, in order to appeal to society, altering their faces to have a different features, simultaneously providing opportunities for cosmetic surgeons to create businesses. Since then, the business has thrived, with many women from ages 19 to 49 having had cosmetic surgery.
Korean beauty standards have varied influences, and K-pop is one of the biggest impact. K-pop have become globalized and exposed around the world; aside from the music, the physical appearance idol artists portray have impacted the beauty standards of Korea. Some people in there are born with single eyelids, less higher nose than Caucasian nose in general, but Korean idols portray double eyelids and high bridged noses. In order to look like Korean idols, cosmetic surgery sometimes became a choice among some Korean people who don't have those standard features to receive eyelid surgeries and nose jobs.
Video Korean beauty standards
Cultural pressure
Korean students are not allowed to wear make-up and jewellery at schools until graduation. Students, especially girls, have low self-esteem of their appearance and are eager to be more beautiful than others. Some decide to have surgery to change their facial features. The most recent 'official' statistic put the percentage of Koreans undergoing cosmetic surgery in 2008 at around 20%. The actual number is much higher but it is unknown as many undergo these procedures at private clinics. This is significant as it shows how popular cosmetic surgery is in South Korea. Many companies require a photo, height, and even family backgrounds of the applicants as part of the hiring process.
While Korean women are more critical of their body image, many are not satisfied with how they present themselves. There is low-self esteem and less satisfaction in comparison to women from the United States based from the survey
Maps Korean beauty standards
Beauty products
Women in South Korea spend more money on cosmetics than women in any other Asian country. In 2015, South Korea exported more than 2.64 billion dollars of cosmetic goods. It is much higher than in 2014 where they exported around 1.91 billion dollars. Some of the most popular products used in Korean are BB (blemish balm) creams, CC (color correction) creams, serums, essences, ampoules, sea weed face masks, and scrubs. Korean beauty products contain ingredients not commonly found in Western products such as snail extract. In 2011 BB cream hit the shelves in America which prior was only exclusively used in Korea had a massive effect. In 2014, the US market for BB cream was around 164 million dollars just by itself.
A massive difference between American and Korean beauty is how they achieve beauty. Americans mostly have a three-step beauty regime which includes cleanse, tone, moisturize. Korean on the other hand have a ten step beauty regime which includes makeup remover and oil cleanser, water-based cleanser, exfoliation, toner, essences, serums, booster and ampoules, sheet masks, eye cream, moisturizer, and lastly sun protection.
Asian cosmetic are gaining an increasing amount of success in the beauty industry. The Euromonitor International predict that by the year of 2019, around 80% of global skincare revenue will come from Asia. At the moment there is many more Asian beauty products in the West specifically from East Asia, especially South Korea and Japan.
Surgery
Some Koreans people decided to have a cosmetic surgery to have more attractive face because they believe that will help them get a successful career. South Korea has a very competitive society, maybe one of the most competitive in the world. There are advertisements of cosmetic surgery in many bus stations at the Seoul. Almost all of the country's cosmetic surgery clinics are located in Seoul. They are especially prevalent in the Gangnam district, which many see as the Korean equivalent to Beverly Hills.
Tattoos in Korea
Tattoos in Korea are frowned upon. There is a tattoo movement but it is relatively small. The tattoo movement remains underground since it is a small movement. Most of the people you see with tattoos are artists, musicians, gangsters, and foreigners. Tattoos are not allowed on Korean television. If someone with tattoos is on television they are asked to cover up the tattoos with clothes such as a long sleeve shirt. They will even blur out the tattoos if can visual see that tattoos. Most Koreans associate tattoos with bad people and with a bad image and reputation.
For someone one in Korea to legally (official certified) give tattoos in Korea they must be a doctor. A doctor is the only legal person to give tattoos to the general public.
Most tattoo parlors are not advertised to the general public in such form like a neon sign saying tattoos. Most of the time you have to get in contact with someone who knows where to find a tattoo artist. Most tattoo parlors are in apartment building. In this places they have an office feel. These places would most often have sterilization machine, clean leather seats, workers who are covered in tattoos. The few places that advertise themselves to the public have a similar setup but are more open in the eye of the public. These sites often get raided by the police, get expensive fines, and are even forced to close down. You can also find travelling tattoo artists. They are more likely go to the clients' house or the client will come to their house.
References
Assembly Required; in Seoul's 'Makeover Town,' Surgeons Struggle to Keep up with Demand for Faces as Seen on TV
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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