Why More Men in South Korea Are Getting Plastic Surgery Than Ever Before

Devon Abelman
0

As the boundaries of beauty expand and the focus shifts toward taking care of yourself and having pride in the way you look and present yourself, the number of men in South Korea pursuing cosmetic procedures is rising. While in Seoul recently, I interviewed several dermatologists and plastic surgeons, and they all agreed that the percentage of their male patients is growing, overall. Many estimated men make up 20 percent of their patients while Yong Joon Noh, a plastic surgeon at Banobagi that focuses on eyes and noses, says its between 30 and 40.

But that's not all. The number of patients who are men over 50 is trending upward. "In the past, if men's faces were a little saggy, they would just deal with it," says Lim Ee Seok, the head dermatologist at Theme Dermatologic Clinic in Seoul. (K-pop group BTS allegedly visit it.) "At the moment, I'm seeing a trend that a lot of older men are getting the same treatments that women are getting, whether it's fillers for wrinkles or lasers for discoloration."

"I'm seeing a trend that a lot of older men are getting the same treatments that women are getting."

Kang Jong Bum, a dermatologist at Seoul's JY Plastic Surgery & Dermatology, reveals men are coming in with their wives and getting their procedures done together, too. "Sometimes, there is still a little bit of embarrassment and awkwardness," he adds. "But in the past, the husbands wouldn't even come ⁠— at least now they come and have a consultation."

Keep scrolling to find out what else is influencing the trend, the most popular procedures men are getting, and how the younger generation of men approaches plastic surgery.

Job Benefits

Other than encouragement from their wives, the competitive job market in Korea also motivates men to make appointments at dermatology and plastic surgery clinics.

"I have a lot of male patients in their 40s to 50s that want to move up in their careers because physical appearances do matter here," Kang says. Jong Lim Park, another plastic surgeon at Banobagi, shares a similar observation with me.

"Looking younger and fresher is very important. When you have a cleaner face, you’re better at your job."

When you submit your résumé for most jobs in South Korea, a recent photo of yourself must be included. As a result, pressure is placed on people, no matter what gender they identify as or how old they are, to look the best they possibly can to get a well-paying job. "In the past, it was about how well you worked," Kang explains. "Now, looking younger and fresher is very important. When you have a cleaner face, you're better at your job."

Starting Young

The rate of younger men getting cosmetic procedures done, on the other hand, is staying steady. They start visiting dermatology and plastic surgery clinics around the age of 13 to 15, notes Choi Jun Young, a plastic surgeon at JY Plastic Surgery & Dermatology. In the past, the age range was 17 to 18, though. Young attributes the shift to puberty happening a lot sooner for kids than in the past.

"They feel like going to the clinic is an investment in themselves."

With the democratization of beauty, Kang says the younger generation isn't embarrassed about coming in. "They feel like going to the clinic is an investment in themselves," he adds. They're giving their skin the care it deserves, especially in regards to seeking out acne treatments. And making an appointment with a clinic is almost too easy. For many offices, all you have to do is send a text message.

Park agrees, adding self-confidence and body image are more important to young men than ever before. Social media has a major part in this. "A lot of social networks are based on photographs and selfies," he explains. "They need a better selfie."

The higher visibility of K-pop stars in pop culture also contributes to this trend, Kang and Seok speculate. "A lot of the younger generation of men here want to look like K-pop idols," Kang says. A certain K-pop star doesn't set the blueprint for them, though. Instead, teen boys generally hope to look simultaneously stereotypically masculine and pretty, which is the trademark aesthetic of Korea's boy groups.

"A lot of the younger generation of men here want to look like K-pop idols."

Altering the shape of their face, particularly their nose and eyes, is the common goal of both young men and women. Double eyelid surgeries and rhinoplasties for higher noses have long been sought after in Korea. The shape of the nose differs between men and women. Noh points out that men tend to like straighter, longer noses. Women, on the other hand, go for a more curved shape.

Both looks are typically created with silicone implants. However, the size of the implants has decreased over time. In the past, people pursued pointier ends and more dramatic implants, Young says. Currently, a more rounded tip of the nose is desired and less noticeable height difference and implants because they covet more natural-looking results. "If someone were to see this person for the first time, they wouldn't be able to tell that they had plastic surgery," Young describes.

Staying Young

Because men biologically have thicker, oilier skin, Kang and Seok indicate that men start focusing on wrinkles later than women usually do. Now, they are less ashamed to smooth them out with laser treatments. Also, a lot of middle-aged men in Korea are into playing golf right now, so Kang says many are coming in to treat hyperpigmentation from sun exposure.

Young and Kyunam Han, another plastic surgeon at Banonagi who focuses on lifting procedures, say the lower part of the face, such as the jawline and jowls, is the focus for men in their 50s and older. Thread lifts are the most common, as they require little time to complete, have quick recovery time, and create minimal scarring. Sometimes, plastic surgeons, like Young, will do liposuction first before the thread lift to minimize further sagging.

For those who need a refresher, a thread lift is a minimally invasive procedure that involves passing dissolvable threads with small cones on them under the skin with a large needle. The cones grab onto the skin from beneath its surface to pull it upward for a more lifted look, Norman Rowe, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City, once explained to Allure.

Blepharoplasties (or eye lifts) to reverse under-eye drooping is gaining popularity, too. Young usually repositions the fat with the same threads used for thread lifts.

America's Baby Boomers versus Korea's

After returning home from Korea, I was curious about what the plastic surgery trends were for men in America. The same themes ring true here. More American men are getting plastic surgery than ever before. According to The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, men received 17 percent of all neck lifts, 16 percent of all nose surgeries, and 15 percent of all eyelid surgeries in 2018.

Coincidentally, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons also recently published new statistics on American baby boomers.

More Americans age 55 and older are seeking out cosmetic procedures, with nearly 50,000 more procedures performed on patients in this age group in 2018 than the previous year, the study found. It didn't parse out this number by gender, but the ASPS listed similar areas of concern as Korea: the neck and chin area. However, Anne Taylor, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Columbus, Ohio, contributed this to looking downward at phones.

Another major difference is the divorce rate in the U.S. and re-entering the dating scene are listed as factors contributing to the rise of plastic surgery among Americans over the age of 55. In case you were wondering, the divorce rate in America is 2.9 per 1,000 population, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, while South Korea's is 2.1, according to Statistics Korea.

No matter what is driving men in America — or Korea — to make an appointment with a dermatologist or plastic surgeon for a cosmetic procedure, one thing is for sure: the societal stigmas against cosmetics procedures are starting to fall away for men 50 and up.

Devon's trip to Seoul was made possible by the Korean Tourism Organization.

Read more about popular procedures in South Korea:

Now, learn about 100 years of plastic surgery history:

Watch Now: Allure Video.

Follow Devon Abelman on Twitter and Instagram.

Read more about popular procedures in South Korea:

Now, learn about 100 years of plastic surgery history:

Watch Now: Allure Video.

You can follow Allure on Instagram and Twitter, or subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on all things beauty.

Originally Appeared on Allure

Advertisement

Recommended Stories