Healing Human Minds: A Plastic Surgeon Speaks

Despite double eyelid surgery not being the centerpiece of last issue’s health article “Seeing Straight”, it triggered a surprising amount of debate, so much so that Dr. Kwak Seung-ho of the Black Cheongdam Plastic Clinic chimed in.

I was hesitant to cover the topic of cosmetic surgery in Korea because the subject has been discussed ad nauseam. Given the opportunity, however, I thought that the perspective of a cosmetic surgeon would allow us to examine the issue in a new light. So for anyone who has already grabbed a soapbox, have a seat; you are tired, and we are not here to argue the ethical issues surrounding cosmetic surgery.

There is no one, Korean or otherwise, who has not already been told that Korean women are selling out to Caucasian ethnocentrism or being brainwashed by the media. Ironically, these are common reasons cited by both critics and cosmetic surgeons alike, but to say that Asians want white aesthetics is only a partial truth and one that hardly can be applied to the full spectrum of cosmetic modification-seekers. The charge neglects the truth that people want to look “better” even when racial favoritism is removed as a factor.

“What is the unique beauty of Korean ethnic features?” Dr. Kwak asks. “A wide malar? Long, torn and narrow eye fissures without a fold? A short, low-profiled nose with wide nasal alae? Small breasts?”

These are all common “Korean” physical features his patients are dissatisfied with, some even to the point of distress. As a cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Kwak sees first-hand the personal fulfilment his work brings patients. This is an important part of plastic surgery he says critics rarely try to understand. “Criticism is only for spectators.”

Eye-related modifications are by far the most popular, but most other demands are “beyond reality.” Clients bring pictures of idols and actresses they want to resemble, but Dr. Kwak disagrees with the exaggerated cosmetic effects celebrity clinics use. The unrealistic surgical fantasies created by such clinics and those hyped by the media simply function to boost surgical demand.

Not all surgeries are without physical benefit. In Korea, one of the most popular procedures for men is functional eyelid surgery to correct for blepharoptosis (droopy or abnormal sagging of the eyelid), which may distort vision or cause eyelashes to scratch the cornea.  Male demand for non-functional procedures such as nasal augmentation, eye widening, and hair transplants have also increased. This has been in large part an unexpected response to the nation’s economic situation. Following Korea’s recent economic crisis, clinics have seen an upsurge of young men wanting to enhance their outward appearance in order to improve job prospects.

Here is another curveball. One would expect older generations to have increasingly conservative views towards plastic surgery; however, Dr. Kwak has never met an old man who did not want their wrinkles removed so as to have a younger face. “I watch many people who are cynical toward plastic surgery on media like TV talk shows. They repress a cold smile, but if that were their own problem, would they talk about people’s decision to get cosmetic surgery with such scorn?”

“Plastic surgery aims to heal human minds by re-establishing their self-esteem,” Dr.Kwak summarizes. Whether you agree or disagree with surgery as a means of increasing self-esteem, Dr.Kwak underscores something we should all be able to agree on: that for critics, surgeons, and proponents alike, it is important to understand patients’ feelings. Motives may not always be apparent and people need not be antagonized for making personal decisions about their own appearances.

Let us close with some much-needed levity and with some words of reflection by America’s Royal Highness of Plastic Surgery, Miss Joan Rivers: “I’ve had so much plastic surgery, when I die they will donate my body to Tupperware. I wish I had a twin, so I could know what I’d look like without plastic surgery.”