Korean Beauty Secrets: #3 Plastic Surgery

Part 3: Plastic Surgery 

  

In recent years Plastic Surgery has become a HUGE phenomenon in Korea and nowadays you will have a pretty hard time finding someone of legal age, especially female, who hasn't had at least 1 procedure done. The graph below from the Economist shows the top ranking Countries in the World for Surgery. It is even more surprising that Korea ranked #1 when you consider how tiny it is in comparison to some of the other Countries on the list such as Brazil and the USA.



Despite Korea's small size, one can understand why surgery is becoming so popular when advertisements for it are plastered all over billboards, trains, tv and popular sites like naver, chosun etc are covered in adverts for surgery to change your face, make certain parts of you bigger/sex tips, and making other parts of you smaller/weight loss. 


Your complexion is just as important, if not more important than your height and body proportions; even if you are short, you can make up for it with a pretty face. The way you look can massively affect the initial impression you make on people and sometimes Koreans will even go as far as to determine your personality based solely on your looks. Koreans are also pretty straight forward and will have no problem or see nothing wrong with saying straight out if they think someone is unattractive or overweight.

Having a pretty face can get you a long way in Korean society. Firstly you can get better jobs and walk straight into a job more easily if you are attractive. Korea still has rather limp discrimination laws so no one is going to get into trouble for hiring someone on the grounds of being hot. The second reasoning is your marriage prospects open up quite significantly, especially if you're a girl. Your social status is tied to your spouse's so people will do anything to be attractive to a larger amount of potential fiancés. 


Yet people still deny she has had work done... 

When considering your future career path, plastic surgeon or dermatologist is a popular choice for many not only because they are the most high paying jobs but they also have low working hours. Because of the large amount of Clinics now open, there is a lot of competition between Surgeons desperate to get people to go to their clinic instead of the one next door. This has caused prices to drop and drop and technology for surgery to develop rapidly.

With the cost of procedures dropping lower and lower, more and more people started getting it, to the point where eye/nose surgery is now common as getting braces. To many Koreans braces and surgery are now viewed as the same thing: both alter your appearance through artificial means. Even males and older people nowadays are getting plastic surgery and pretty much all of the male idols on TV will have had at least one procedure, and you can often see ahjummas on the subway with double eyelids. 


At least someone can make a joke about it

The face can be divided into two elements: skin and features. Your facial features includes your eyes, mouth, nose, ears and even bone structure (jaw and cheek bones). And the second feature, your skin, focuses on the condition of your skin, wrinkles, acne etc. 

Eyes 
Here are the common procedures: Double eyelids, lengthening of the eye horizontally and enlarging the under eye bags. For those of you who don't know what that is, check out the photo below:



Nose
Western shaped thin, but sharp noses with a high bridge are "in" in Korea. It is probably one of the more important features on your face because of a popular belief that having a big nose is a sign of clumsiness and stupidity. Most procedures include having your nose made thinner whilst adding an implant to make the bridge higher and nose seem more pointed rather than the typical flat Asian nose. 

Jaw
Your jawline determines the size and shape of your face and in Korea, the smaller your face is the more attractive you are. This procedure is very expensive ($20,000+) and very painful in comparison to getting your nose or eyes fixed, but is still very popular as you can alter the shape and size of your entire head in just 1 procedure! Not only is a small face considered attractive, a pointed jaw (commonly known in Korea as the V-Line) is very lusted after so this procedure is great for not only making your face seem smaller but for giving you a pointed chin rather than a rounder face.


Actress Park Minyoung before and after getting her jaw shaved

Skin
Having good skin is very important. You could have the best body proportions and the most attractive face in the entire country, but with bad acne you are nothing more than an Orc. In the West it is only really girls that use a billion facial products, ranging from cleanser, toner, moisturiser, eye cream, anti-aging cream, foundation, etc. However, I was shocked the first time I saw that over here it's pretty standard for GUYS to use all of those products too! 

Of course you can use all of these products to make your skin at least appear better, as this article is about cosmetic procedures I will at least mention the procedure that goes with Skin: Chemical peel. This procedure is basically where you cover your face in a chemical solution until the top layer(s) of skin eventually "peels" away, leaving you with an un-scared, smoother and less wrinkled layer. 

Final Notes:

• Glue and circle lenses do a lot for enlarging your eyes if you cant afford surgery
• Gangnam-gu has the best but also the most expensive surgeons
• Go to your local GP if you suffer from bad acne, they can normally do a lot to help you

← Part 2 Height & Body Proportions

Part 4 Skin colour →

Korean Beauty Secrets #2: Height & Body Proportions

Part 2: Height & Body Proportions


Some of you may already be familiar with the "loser" scandal but for those of you who aren't: In 2010, a student named Lee Dokyung stated on TV that she would never date a guy shorter than 180cm because they were all losers - much to the discomfort of the male guests on the show who are all shorter than 180cm and the National average of Korean males being 174cm. 



Her statement seriously annoyed netizens who then went on to dig up every little detail on Lee Dokyung's personal life including information on her own breast enlargement surgery. Even thought everyone was utterly disgusted with her, it would be impossible to deny her statement is partly true: girls look for taller guys.
 

Even though girls are exempt from the problem of not being tall enough, there is also the issue of body proportions which applies to both men and women. The picture below shows the ratio of head length to height: 

The average ratio for Westerners is around 1:7.5, and 1:6~6.5 for Koreans. The goal for Koreans is to hit the 1:7 ratio, if you can hit that you stand a good chance at being able to pull in clubs. The "Golden Ratio" of 1:8 is seen as the ideal ratio and will get you scouted as a model, actor or idol.

To make yourself appear taller, girls have 2 options: 

    1. High heels

Ouch...

    2. Insoles (also called Shoe Lifts)

Girls sometimes use insoles, for when they wear flat shoes, but most of the time they will opt for heels. Males on the other hand don't have a choice and most if not all Korean guys will wear at least one pair of insoles in their shoes. Insoles are great because not only do they make you taller, but they focus on making you taller by making your legs appear longer, thus improving your body ratio!

Spacious shoes like Hi-Tops/High Tops are perfect for hiding insoles

Insoles vary in shape and height, with street vendors selling packs of 1, 2 and 3cm insoles this means they are very cheap and you can also stack them on top of each other for an extra height boost! 

Wearing heels or insoles also slims your legs as the muscles tighten when you stand on your tip toes which is a great bonus as Koreans prefer a slim body frame. Men are expected to be muscled and well toned but still slim, this is called the "Reverse Triangle" body shape. If you imagine an upside down triangle, with the wide top symbolising the wide shoulders a man should have, then the tip of the triangle showing a thin waist. 

Lamar Skin Plastic Surgery Clinic recently conducted a survey from July 17th 2012 to August 2nd, asking 654 of its female customers which male idol they consider to have a body as good as the swimmer Park Taehwan. Super Junior's Choi Siwon was voted in 1st place.


Park Taehwan vs. Choi Siwon

Choi Woosik, the head of the clinic, stated that "Siwon has a broad shoulders along with a toned back. He also has great abs which add to the ideal body type for guys. His body is what females look for. It's not too buff but toned enough for a smoother look." The idea is to be muscular and toned but not big and bulky.


Girls are also supposed to be slim. Koreans don't really care about girls being toned, unlike the West where toned stomachs are the ultimate stomach, because Koreans prefer girls to look youthful. By keeping thin but not toned, the body, especially the stomach, looks more like a child's, therefore making the girl look younger and therefore appealing more to the opposite sex. Of course this is a generalisation and there are guys who prefer curvy, toned or thicker girls!



The supposed "Most attractive female idols" 1) Kim Taehee, 2) Shin Minah and 3) Lee Minjung

Final Notes 

• Invest in a good pair of heels or insoles
• It's OK to wear more than 1 pair of insoles
• Take photos in an angled mirror to make your legs look longer

List of Korean body lines:
S-Line - Ample breasts and buttocks when viewed from the side

V-Line - A slim face narrowing towards the chin OR a girls cleavage

W-Line - Breasts viewed from the front

X-Line - An Hourglass figure: Large breasts and wide hips with a narrow waist

U-Line - Exposed lower back in low cut clothing

M-Line - A "six pack" on men

List of Korean body lines you want to avoid:
D-Line - A pregnant (or pregnant-appearing) stomach

B-Line - Large breasts and a large stomach

O-Line - Straight out fat

← Part 1 Fashion & Style 

Coming soon: Part 3 Plastic Surgery →

A/N: PLEASE KEEP IN MIND: Even though wearing high heels and shoe lifts may make you look more aesthetically appealing, constant usage can cause your body a lot of damage:

"Constant wearing of high heels change the feet permanently. They also change the way all your joints in your body are aligned. Heels, even the small ones, cause you to fall forward, and the body compensates by contorting the back and changing the positioning of the shoulders and neck, making you prone to herniated discs. You also use the joints and muscles incorrectly, because you're not walking in a natural way. The Achilles tendon also shortens and you'll have pain whenever you wear a flat shoe. You can lengthen that tendon over time, but it depends upon how long you've been wearing high heels. A podiatrist can help." - Dr. Michael Nirenberg

As wonderful as looking attractive is, please take care of your health! This article is just for fun and an overall generalisation of the Korean Ideal, and I would not encourage anyone to wear heels constantly!! I warned you and therefore the blame is off me. Health comes first!

Korean Beauty Secrets: #1 Fashion & Style

Introduction

   

People will commonly judge you based on your appearance: Korean Society is especially guilty of this. In the West, there is a lot more variation of what is classed as attractive than in Korea. Trends change quickly and everyone follows them perfectly because Korea is a very competitive society. Koreans have no problem with commenting on the way other people look, and because of this you will commonly find Koreans glued to reflective surfaces to keep an eye on any imperfections that dare to appear. Whether it's the girls sat on the train checking their reflection in their phone or hand mirror, or the guys checking themselves out in all the windows they walk past.

In this set of articles I am going to share the tips and tricks that Koreans use to make themselves as attractive as possible to their fellow Koreans~ 

Part 1: Fashion and Style

One of the most important things when it comes to looks is the way you present yourself, so in this first article we shall take a look at Korean trends and fashion!

Let's start with hair: your hair can have a massive affect on the way your features look and can make a huge difference to your outfit. In the West, if you were to go to your hairdresser and ask for a perm they would probably laugh at you but in Korea getting a perm is very common. Koreans, like myself, suffer from dead straight and volume-less hair. The solution? Perm! Perms are great because there are different types, from adding curls to adding volume, and are therefore equally popular between boys and girls.


You can add different types of curls or even give your hair some volume with a perm

The most common hair style with males is a variation of the "short back and sides" except the sides are kept long enough to grow sideburns. 


Olympic swimmer, Park Taehwan, doing it right
  
A combination of a good cut and a perm is enough to give your hair some volume but it still doesn't hit the mark without styling correctly. There are even things you can buy to wear in the morning before you head off to work, to keep your sideburns from sticking up:

He doesn't look very happy about wearing that...

When it comes to hair colour, most Koreans stick to black although it is pretty common to run brown highlights through your hair. Idols are often dying their hair anything from brown to even extreme colours like white, blue or red. Bare in mind though these are just idol hair colours; if an everyday Korean wants to be taken seriously, and not laughed at constantly, they will keep their hair black/brown. 

Girls tend to keep their hair longer: girls who cut their hair short normally wear it in a bob style as Koreans think girls should look girly and feminine, not look like boys. And the only women who tend to wear their hair short are ahjummas. 

Next let's take a look at clothes!
The trends in Korea change quite often but 1 thing that remains constant is that tight/fitted clothes are always in and baggy clothes make you look like a scruffy beggar. The only time baggy clothes are allowed is when they are actually fitted, and girls are allowed to get away with loose/over-sized t-shirts. LOOSE not BAGGY


Baggy... but fitted

The recent trend for guys is casual-dandy/business-casual. This includes: blazers, shirts, designer t-shirts, cardigans, v-neck sweaters, fitted jeans, oxford or converse shoes, leather bags etc.

Popular idols, DBSK, are masters of the casual-dandy

The casual-dandy style is also very popular for girls right now. Girls can wear the same as above but can also wear nice skirts or shorts instead of slacks/jeans as well as high heeled shoes. Korean girls opt for very natural looking make-up, and top it off with a manicure or gel nails and you're good to go!

Even though you have to stay on trend, it's important to get one-up on your peers and you can do this using BRANDS. This way you can still follow the latest fashion trend, but do it so much better than everyone else, it's standing out without actually standing out. Not only do Brand labels make your outfit so much better, it's also a chance to show off how well off you and your family are by being able to waste money on clothes. 

Final Notes

• Invest in a perm or a good pair of curling irons
• Dye your hair dark
• Head over to Apgujeong for some Designer clothing

Coming soon: Part 2 Height & Body Proportions →

A/N: Remember, this is all just for fun~ 

Seoul Fashion Map #3

Take a look at some other famous shopping hot-spots in Seoul~

Itaewon 이태원

   
Dating from the 14th century, Itaewon was formed as a major trading area. With the American Army base right next to the shopping street, Itaewon attracts thousands of foreign shoppers with most of the vendors being able to speak English and Japanese, and most stores will accept Dollars and Yen. As Itaewon is the haven for foreigners in Seoul, many of the shops sell Western sized clothing. There is also a large amount of quality leather goods for sale.

There are many foreign restaurants in the area so after shopping you can go to eat cuisine from all over the world. There is also a large number of bars, with Foreigner only bars, as well as a large Mosque. 
   
Location:  Subway Itaewon Station, Noksapyeong Station and Hanganjin Station, Line 6.
Opening Hours: 9:00am to 9:00pm. Hamilton Shopping Center is closed on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. Itaewon market is closed every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month.
Useful Information: It is commonly known that foreigners "do not know Seoul, but know Itaewon" and it is home to many of the Foreign Embassy's so if you feel like you want a break from Seoul and all things Korean, Itaewon is the place to go to get away from Korean Culture for the day. The atmosphere here is very, very different to the rest of Seoul. 


Hongdae 홍대앞
  

   
Hongdae-ap, more commonly known as Hongdae, is the area surrounding Hongik University 홍익대학교 and the university from which it got it's name. The university is considered one of the best Art and Design universities in the country and has a strong influence on the surrounding area. Hongdae is full of unique cafes, artist graffiti, art galleries and live music! There are many shops and stalls as well as a weekly market and all of the famous Beauty/Skin care stores have a branch in Hongdae.
  

Location:  Subway Hongik University Station, Line 2. Hapjeong Station, Line 2 and 6.

Useful Information: Every Saturday (except in Winter) there is a flea market held in the playground! Be sure to check it out!! Hongdae gets very busy in the late afternoon and evening, so if you want to do some serious shopping, go earlier in the day to avoid the huge crowds! The level at which store workers speak languages other than Korean, is a lot lower here than in Myeong-dong despite having the same popular stores (i.e Etude House), if it is your first time shopping and you are likely to need advice it is best to go to Myeong-dong where the store staff will be able to speak your language to advise you

← Part 2 Gangnam Style 

Seoul Fashion Map #2

Let's take a look at the area of the rich and famous, Gangnam~

High Class Fashion: Gangnam Style 강남구

Sinsa-dong 신사동
   

Garosugil 가로수 길, the most popular part of Sinsa-dong, is a street lined with shops, cafes and restaurants and is commonly known as “The road of artists”. This sophisticated, up-and-coming street is full of all sorts of trendy shops where you can find unique and exotic clothing. It is also home to plenty of boutiques and pop-up shops where you will be able to find something really unique. There are plenty of cafes and restaurants that you can then relax in after shopping, as well as bars that often hold live music and galleries you can visit.
  
Location:  Subway Sinsa Station, Line 3, Exit 8.
Useful Information:  Keep an eye out for the various events and pop-up stores that are held in Garosugil!

Apgujeong 압구정동
   

Apgujeong is the home to luxury brands and high class fashion. The best place to check out the next trend among the rich and famous is Rodeo Street: birth place of leading fashion trends among celebrities, foreign brand name stores, reasonably priced hip hop fashion shops and accessory shops. 

There are also plenty of Beauticians where you can get your nails done that are often visited by female stars but not closed to the public, so you may find yourself sat next to an idol whilst you get a manicure! Apgujeong is also home to cosmetic surgery and the most popular clinics are clustered on the streets, although these are classed as the "best" place to get surgery, keep in mind they are also the most expensive and as they're where the most rich and famous Koreans get their surgery.

Location: Subway Apgujeong Station, Line 3.
Useful Information: Apgujeong is famous for being the wealthy area of Seoul, so make sure to take your credit card as well as your camera as many Korean celebrities are often spotting shopping here due to the high price and quality of goods as well as it being home to JYP  Entertainment and S.M.Entertainment.


COEX Mall
   

COEX Mall is the largest underground shopping center in Asia. It is located in the basement of the Korea World Trade Center and is considered to be the best shopping and entertainment complex in the area. 

The mall is home to many different kinds of shops ranging from small stores to brand name shops as well as a large food court, event court and the Bandi & Luni’s bookstore. 

The mall is also home to other attractions such as the Game Champ Arcade, Megabox Cineplex, COEX Aquarium and even a Kimchi Museum. Many events are also held here from fashion to Hallyu, from culture to movies. 

Location: Subway Samseong Station, Line 2, Exits 5 and 6
Opening Hours: 10:30am to 10:00pm

Useful Information: If you want to go to an event here, make sure to check if you need to buy a ticket!

← Part 1 Bargain Shopping 

 Part 3 Notable Places →

Seoul Fashion Map #1

Although Seoul is the focus of Korean fashion, it is a large city with many districts each home to a very different shopping experience and fashion style. Let's begin with Seoul's famous markets~

  

Bargain Shopping: District of Gangbuk 강북구

  Namdaemun Market 남대문시장

  

Opening in 1964, Namdaemun Market is the largest and oldest traditional market in Korea with history dating back to 1414. Various goods are sold here all at bargain prices: a variety of clothes, glasses, stationary, hats, bags and accessories that are often hand made by the stall owners. It is common to find store owners buying stock at Namdaemun market to then sell on in their own shops.

Location:  Hoehyeon Station, Line 4, Exit 5

Opening Hours: 11:00pm to 3:00am (Close on Sundays) 


Myeong-dong 명동     

Myeong-dong is a massive shopping district which is covered by 2 subway stations so is easily accessible. Unlike Namdaemun or Dongdaemun, Myeong-dong is home to famous name stores such as Lotte Department Store, Shinsegae Department Store, Myeong-dong Migliore, Noon Square and M Plaza. There are also plenty of well known stores such as Spao, The Face Shop, Etude House and much more.

There are a lot of Hair and Beauty Salons in Myeong-dong where you can get a manicure, hair cut, perm etc. And there is also a large market that fills the streets in between the stores as well as a large underground shopping area in the subway station. Myeong-dong also is home to many restaurants varying from Japanese, Chinese and Asian cuisine to Western cuisine from Italy to France. There are also many other attractions such as theaters and Myeong-Dong Catholic Church.

Location:  Subway Myeong-dong Station, Line 4. Euljiro 1-ga Station, Line 2

Useful Information: Most, if not all, of the shop staff and market stall owners can speak English, Chinese and Japanese. Shop Staff are more than happy to help you out if you have any questions, especially in the Skin Care and Beauty shops; feel free to ask them for advice on skin care! Remember to check out the shops in the Subway too!

Dongdaemun Market 동대문시장
  

The Dongdaemun market opened in July 1905 in Yeji-dong 예지동 with the market being called Gwangjang Market 광장시장. The market continued like this until it was destroyed in the Korean War. The market was then slowly rebuilt until a building was constructed in 1959 and the market was revived. 1998 saw large shopping malls such as Geopyeong Freya, Migliore and Doosan Tower being built in the district and the market was renovated with a modern atmosphere among the traditional market.

In December in 1985, the Dongdaemun Shopping Town was established: the area is devided into 5 shopping districts (A, B, C, D and the Shopping Town). There are over 5,000 shops located in this district, selling various fabrics, materials, accessories, wedding products, and more. The fabric and clothing here are of the latest fashion trends in the world. Inventory is imported and exported in real time, making Dongdaemun a must-visit fashion market for everyone.

Location:  Subway Dongdaemun Stadium Station, Line 2. Dongdaemun Station Line 1 and 4 
Opening Hours: 10:30am to 5:00am. Most stores close on Mondays and Holidays

Useful Information: The open hours vary in each district! Some shops/stalls are open 24hours where as others are only open during the night (from 8pm to 8am). To get the best out of Dongdaemun, multiple visits at different times of the day are advised, especially as it is too big to get through all at once!

Part 2 Gangnam Style →

Seoul Fashion Overview

The History of Korean Fashion

Thanks to the slow rise of Japanese Fashion, interest in Asian fashion has begun to increase Globally and all eyes have turned to Seoul. The first fashion show in Korea was held back in 1945 although nothing came of this as the government forbade fashion shows to continue. The 1970's saw Korean fashion take rise again as all the designers came forward to showcase their ideas and designs.

Things were gradually on the rise thanks to globalisation and an influx of foreign students coming to Korea and Korean designers leaving to find out more about what the world was wearing. Thanks to this, an exchange of an ideas was able to happen and lead to a boom in Korean Fashion.

The period after this saw a massive slow down in Korean fashion due to a wave of political and social issues such as changing economy, different governments, bifurcation, etc. Due to the economic crisis, there was a lack of financial interest in Fashion and the industry dwindled. 

The 2000's saw the 3rd rise in Korean fashion, where Korean fashion got accepted and more importantly, went global. Thanks to events such as Seoul Fashion Week, Korea was able to showcase its designers and models to the world. 

2011 saw even more popularity coming Korea's way, thanks to the spread of the Hallyu Wave. Starting in the 1990's, it slowly spread through Asia and in 2009 it began to spread over to the West. 2011 saw the real rise of the Korean Wave in the West and now Fashion and Idols are closely linked with each other.

Related Links

• Seoul Fashion Week – OHP for Seoul Fashion Week.
• Korea Fashion Association – OHP for the Korean Fashion Association.
• Korean Models – A great site showing off Korea's popular models.
• The Fashion & Culture Association - OHP for the Korean Fashion & Culture Association.
• INAPad - A collection of international model portfolios.