Plastic Surgeon Reacts to Westernization of Asians Via Surgery

Plastic surgery is endemic in East Asia, specifically South Korea and Japan. Asian eyelid surgery, nose jobs, and more are being performed on young people at alarming rates. Are these procedures meant to make Asians look more Caucasian? And what is the dark history of Asian cosmetic surgery? America's Holistic Plastic Surgeon and Korean American Dr. Anthony Youn gets to the bottom of Asian Plastic Surgery: How Far is Too Far?

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[FNFIHOCTW]

As a Black American woman I have to say I can understand the negative influence the years of only seeing "European " beauty standards. This is sad because Asian women are beautiful with their natural features, I think we all need to work on the thoughts inside our head.

[nicolagonzalez]

My son hated his ears as a child and asked me to have plastic surgery. I told him that when he has children his plastic surgery cannot be inherited and his children will have large ears too. He thought about it and changed his mind about having surgery. It's important to teach self love and acceptance.

[i-chensun]

I left home to study abroad alone at a young age. When I turned 18, upon one Christmas visit back home, I was dragged to a renowned plastic surgeon in Taiwan by my mother to get a “double eye lid” surgery. I’m grateful to that famous surgeon for refusing to perform the operation and kept my monolid eyes. As a top plastic surgeon in the country, he observed my mother quietly, and assured me gently that my eyes are “special”.

[leftymind]

My boyfriend is interracial (Filipino/British & Irish), and has what is referred to in the video as a “classic Asian nose” as well as tanned skin. I have never once thought for a second those traits were unattractive. So sad how society makes people believe their natural features are something to be ashamed of.

[katieweeman]

I’m half Asian and half Caucasian like your kids. I ended up having a double lid, but I’ve always looked at the Asian members of my family with mono lids and throughout my life I’ve wished I had them too because to me they are so beautiful. Thanks for promoting beauty in all forms. In all types of people, from different backgrounds or in us biracial people!

[JaniceWithTheTarlovCyst]

I'll never forget the first time I saw a black girl my age; I was probably 4 and I told my Mom that I wanted to look like her. I ran up to her and we started talking. I was mesmerized by the braids in her hair; I really thought I could look like her, maybe when I got older. My Mom and the girl's Mom were having a conversation and I said to the girl's Mom that I wanted to be her Sister and to look like her. I'll never forget the Woman's laughter; she tried explaining to me why it was impossible. Then I saw her tear up and she bent down and gave me the biggest and best hug of my little life. That beautiful little girl's face is still etched in my mind and I'm about to be 63. I was awestruck by her beauty and the colour of her skin. Then I secretly wished she was my Mom. I felt so guilty about wanting to have my own Mom replaced that when I said my prayers that night I asked God to understand that I really didn't want my Mom replaced, I just wanted us to look like them.

[lunaenter]

I have monolid eye and very Asian face. I dare say I'm a proud Asian woman!

[lisaraptor]

Growing up Korean in a 99% white small town this video made me feel better and cry at the same time. Being made fun of growing up and being called slant-eyes I would've given ANYTHING to look like my white peers. Now as a 36 year old I'm finally comfortable in my own skin. Also moving away helped. Thank you Dr. Youn for being awesome

[JadeLim]

Monolid was one of my insecurities back in school because people tease me for my small eyes. I learn how to love myself by practicing in front of a mirror and constantly giving myself encouragement, telling myself that I look kinda cute and it's unique since it's very hard to look for someone who looks exactly the same as me. It's like hypnotizing myself and as time goes by, I sincerely believe it 😂

My uncles, aunts and some of my cousins also had small eyes so when we smile, we look very similar and I really love that. Genes are so strong sometimes 🤗

[yu-tinglee]

As a Korean, I remember my mom took me to a surgeon when I was 11 to do the double eyelid surgery. I was terrified and start crying and begging the surgeon not to do so. But now I am 20, and I was thinking about doing the surgery since it makes you look "cuter". After watching this video, I start to think that if it is only an emotional need, and maybe I don't need it at all if I can think better of myself.

[gnomealone]

I, a Caucasian woman from 🇨🇦, adopted my daughter from China about 20 years ago. As a young child she had one very droopy eyelid that had the potential to impact her vision. So we saw a (Caucasian) specialist, who told us that he could absolutely repair it surgically, and that, of course, he would do some extra tweaking to add a crease, AND operate on the other perfectly healthy lid to add a crease there too. She was 4 years old! Needless to say, we never saw that doctor again, the droopy lid resolved on its own as she grew, and she is now a beautiful young woman.

[tranmthu]

I'm so tired of white features being the universal beauty standard. When I visited my family in Vietnam, in all the houses I visited the women had lotions and soaps that promised a whitening effect. Meanwhile in the west people risk getting skin cancer just for a tan skin. Humans always want what they don't have.
I do have a very flat nose but the only thing that annoys me about it is that my glasses keep sliding down 🤣

[roygbiv]

One thing I can’t stand about Asian parents (as an Asian myself) is that they never fight for their or their kids dignity. It’s always “Well, you need to change than so people won’t make fun of you.” And they pound that into your head, making sure to always remind you that others are talking crap about you whenever they don’t like your appearance.

[Vonononie]

As someone with bulbous eyes which have a deep set double lid, I’ve always thought that monolids looked beautiful. I think the flat lid coming down from the eyebrow looks much more welcoming and softer than my eyes. I think it definitely helps to keep a youthful appearance too

[perkidanman]

Went to the Philippines to visit family. It was impossible to find any kind of skin cream or soap that didn’t whiten. Colorism is huge.

[Pearlruby]

As a woman who had an Asian Mullato grandmother, who married a full blood Seminole native, whose child my mother married an Irishman. All I can say is that beauty comes in all shades and ethnicities. I married a black man and have children and grandchildren with green eyes, blue eyes, brown eyes, hazel eyes, and all skintones. Slanted eyes and round eyes naturally in one family. Yet we all love each other, and no one makes comparisons to each other. It will be a wonderful world when humans are just referred to as human beings or the human race period.

[auggiewhite]

I'm half Asian and half European. I've got a monolid and my sister has a double lid. Growing up, I always wanted Western eyelids. Mainly because all the beauty and fashion magazines only had eye makeup advice for double eyelids. As an adult, I'm very much happier in my appearance and am glad I never had surgery.

[evandegenfelder]

When you said that when you saw your daughter on the day she was born you knew "she was the most beautiful girl I'd seen in my life" just just had to smile and laugh. It's true. New Dads fall in love instantly and their little baby girls ARE the most beautiful. My husband did when I gave birth to our daughter and they remain very close, even though she's going to turn 35 this year.
I'm getting close to my surgery date, but it's not to look 'beautiful'. I've lost an enormous amount of weight (no, no bariatric surgery) and in a couple months I will have a bracheoplasty (arms) which is a quality of life issue for me.

[rilmar]

There's a fashion/beauty historian called Karolina Żebrowska and she made a video talking about how certain features, or the way he put it, body parts are treated as trends. And I see soma parallels between this video and hers

[shadowgirl]

It breaks my heart when other ethnicities want to look white. I know social media doesn’t help with it pushing for western beauty, but I think it is important to stop looking at others for beauty but see the beauty in you. We are all unique and beautiful in our own ways.