Asian Blepharoplasty As A Modern Trend In Plastic Surgery - Research Paper Example

Asian Blepharoplasty As A Modern Trend In Plastic Surgery Introduction Today, in Asia, the trend of pursing Western beauty among the natives of this continent has become the center of attention. A rising number of Asians are turning to artificial procedures to change, at times, momentarily, at times, everlastingly, their looks in order to fit an unrealistic Western ideal (Joo, 2012). Some of the procedures involve fast, quick cosmetic applications that might or might not have prolonged side effects, but others involve surgical procedures, for instance the famous Asian Blepharoplasty and others, which have different levels of risk/danger. What stands out from all this procedures is the fact that body features of Westerners/Whites continue to prevail among the Asian culture and to the Asians, attaining such an ideal look is worth any cost/consequence. They feel that the Western look is more appealing compared to their look. These procedures from the brief, fairly kind ones to the more dangerous, at times, life-threatening procedures, are dynamically provoked by the fashion industry or simply wanting to look good (Joo, 2012). Many advertisements in the Asian media relate individual and professional success to people with Western and Caucasian features plus clear messages that in order to achieve significant things in life, then one has to follow the Western way of life, which involves looking like them (Nguyen et al., 2009). The Western way of life implies have a beautiful, appealing body from head to toe. During these efforts, Asians risk affecting their wellbeing and financial security due to the high expenses involved in these surgeries (Chen, 2001). This risky trend should be brought to a stop, but it will not occur while Asians continue to endorse Western fashion in their own fashion industry. This research will discuss the factors which cause Asians to feel pressured to endorse Western beauty mainly focusing on Asian Blepharoplasty. It will also discuss tough issues brought up by these societal influences and propose that the resolution lies in the mind of Asians themselves. Body Modification: A Historical Perspective As Epstein and Joo (2013) confirm, modification of the human body has been there for as long as humans have willed themselves in order to fulfill the established modes that they feel satisfy societal standards. These modifications have been practiced many ways and for different reasons. Historical evidence proposes that red dye removed from hematite was applied to the body with the aim of decorating it. After this, archaeological evidence confirms that over 10,000 years ago, animal bones, teeth and colorful stones were considered as human adornments (Chen, 2001). However, society has evolved since those years and now we simply need to watch television or flip the pages of a magazine to be hit with every sort of body modification advertisement. Special chemicals can align your hair and also transform the tone of your skin as well as its texture. Furthermore, surgical procedures can increase or reduce the size of your breast, remove unwanted fat and reverse ageing signs (Chen, 2001). Asian Blepharoplasty The most common surgical procedure among Asians is referred to as blepharoplasty wherein a crease/fold is formed above the eye by a needle and sutured with a thread or just a by scalpel. The product following the healing process is a normal looking crease. The procedure is overly painful, very expensive and can also lead to harsh health concerns (McCurdy, 2013). The eye lid surgery can lead to lagophthalmos otherwise referred to as inadequate eyelid closure because of internal scarring or too much skin removal. It can also lead to loss of vision and excessive bleeding, which remains localized in the eyelid. It also, sometimes, forms a large blood clot that distorts and discolors the eyelid when tampered with. This is a condition referred to as hematomas. One in every 15 patients has gone back for a second surgery after being affected with this condition (Iwabuchi, 2002). The main reason of the surgery is to offer much more prominence to the upper eyelid, or gives it a slightly wider gaze without making it seem unnatural, something that Westerners have. Of late, young adults in their 20's look for a slightly softer image compared to images that appear to be more muscular or male-like, copying the image of heroes such as manhwa and manga for the boys (Iwabuchi, 2002). This appearance has become more and more popular since the late 90s when the boy bands of the bishonen sport started to become popular in Japan both for men and women. These alleged kkonminam (beautiful flower boys) appearances are the ones that prevail notable drama television series in countries such as Japan (McCurdy, 2013). The soft image comprises of double eyelids, les angular jaws and prominent nose tips with broad bicep and pectoral muscles to grant their bodies a true, Western definition (Iwabuchi, 2002). Thus, the aim is to try and create a muscular, but smooth body with boyish facial elements. Even slighter older men, those in their 30s and 40s, do these eye lid surgeries. Their motivation comes from the respect that such Western middle-aged men get for their good looks. For example, it is more appealing to interact with a good looking middle-aged American man who is wearing a suit than Asians. That is why Americans are considered as better business negotiators. In Taiwan, over one million surgical procedures were carried out last year alone, which is twice the number of surgeries that took place in 2012 (Epstein and Joo, 2013). In Korea, practitioners claim that at least one in eight adults have had blepharoplasty. The Thai government even funds blepharoplasty tours, and, in Japan, blepharoplasty has started such a rage that top medical clinics are raking over USD 100 million every year from the past 6 years from 2007 to 2013 (McCurdy, 2013). Thus, Asians have started to respond to the pressure of the media and fashion in high numbers. By doing this, they put themselves through many needless procedures, wastage of funds and endure both physical and mental pain. As Epstein and Joo (2013) point out, Asians suffer for good looks. Blepharoplasty is so common among Asians that some persuade their friends to go and get the surgery done on them (Epstein and Joo, 2013). One of the body issues about White women is weight, but it is not a big issue it comes to Asian women because most of them are considered to have the desirable weight that women today yearn (Epstein and Joo, 2013). According to critics, the more widespread issue appears to be the facial elements, which make them ineffaceable and obviously Asian, and; thus, different. Facial elements are what mainly put Asians, and especially their women, outside the idea of an American 'norm' (Chen 2001). This mainly affects Asian Americans. Immediately they get out of this norm, Asian women are viewed as foreign and exotic characters. However, thinking of people as a group is what lies behind this obsession on physical attributes. Other than being defined by themselves, Epstein and Joo (2013) claim that Asians, especially their women, are defined by others and also a set of normal physical features. Furthermore, these physical appearances define them more compared to any other set of political agenda or historical experiences. Therefore, the key features that ones that make them unique, eventually wind up being disruptive and destructive like wastage of resources and losing their uniqueness. Rather than endorsing these features, which make them seem as one, many Asians opt to rather modify them by engaging in blepharoplasty. This is carried out in numerous methods plus with different success, but the game is the same: to escape from their physical limits of their culture and other Asian cultures so that they could be more recognized as Westerners instead of Asians. Epstein and Joo (2013) argue that, unlike other cultures like Latinas and Blacks, Asians lack a strong sense of cultural recognition, which means that they do not endorse the uniqueness their culture presents to them such as different looks, which might grant them a much stronger inner sense of their own appearance and a self-respect, which goes past looks. By missing this, they are more susceptible to the external forces of society, as well as their own strong yearn for success. It seems that external forces of society such as social pressure and success are tied to each other, as well. Their solution, as put out by critics, is to wipe out the differences either through efforts of assimilation or undertaking this surgeries. By doing this, they fall short of developing a structure for valuing their own physical appearance so that the reason of altering their bodies is societal and not individual. Social, Moral, And Legal Issues Of Blepharoplasty Critics argue that cultural practices and resistance normally have a deep psychological effects on the non-Whites who are thinking about any kind of surgery, plus these transformations are overly far-reaching (Holliday and Elfving-Hwang, 2012). Altering ethnic looks can lead to guilty feelings. The choosing of blepharoplasty might even affect a whole family, especially older members who are less keen accept or even understand the need to endorse Western looks. This is because elders have a vital role in societies that are not composed of Whites. Therefore, their rejection or endorsement of blepharoplasty has mental influence on the traditional patient it will either make them feel appreciated or not good. It will also create a gap between the elders and the young. The thought that a lot of Asians, millions, continue to endorse blepharoplasty is shocking when taking into consideration the likely effects. Complication are widespread with blepharoplasty since up to 10% of the patients undergo revision surgeries due to a failed surgery (McCurdy, 2013). These complications include eyelid asymmetry, laxity of pretarsal skin, loss of palpebral fold, withdrawal of the upper eyelid, extreme fat removal and hypertrophicscars. The legal impacts, which arise from procedures that have not brought out the desired outcome are overly multifaceted. The challenge is worsened by the dark social and psychological issues concerned in both coming up with a decision and seeing whether it will work (McCurdy, 2013). These include whether you will look appealing after the surgery, when society will accept you and whether the procedure will be successful among others. Failed procedures, which caused pain to the patient, are even more sophisticated. The financial losses are burdensome for the individual, his/her family and sometimes even friends, who are hardly compensated. They should be compensated because of the surgery which has destroyed their loved ones. Conclusion and Recommendations These dark social problems need to be tackled. Nevertheless, remembering that this is a high earning industry, regulation will be less significant for the government because they gain from the tax they impose on the surgery. At the moment, the government's inaction such as high taxation, laws that govern ineffective surgeries among others, proposes an implicit approval. This endorsement only works to help the propagation of unsafe and unethical surgical clinics plus it further underpins the negative messages that Asians are already showered with through adverts (McCurdy, 2013). With that being said, the only main answer to change lies in the minds of Asians themselves. It is up to them to realize that they need to stand up for their own culture and what their culture has to present to them. There is no difference with a black person blenching to become white and an Asian going through blepharoplasty; all of them are being faced with life crisis, identify crisis (McCurdy, 2013). Asians need to be taught, by their elders, how to be sure of themselves and stop looking into the ideals of others cultures for perfection. Increasingly more Asians are becoming conscious of the scheming methods that they being bombarded with on a daily basis (McCurdy, 2013). At least such an awareness will put them in a better position for make informed decisions. Works Cited Chen, William P. "Aesthetic eyelid surgery in Asians: an East-West view." HKJO Phthalmol 1.3 (2001): 3-29. Print. Epstein, Stephen J and Joo, Rachael M. Multiple Exposures: Korean Bodies and the Transnational Imagination. N.p, 2013. Web. Holliday, Ruth and Elfving-Hwang, Joanna. “Gender, Globalization and Aesthetic Surgery in South Korea”. Body and Society 18.3 (2012): 58-81. Print. Iwabuchi, Koichi. Recentering Globalization: Popular Culture and Japanese Transnationalism. Durham: Duke University Press, 2002. Print. Joo, Rachael. Transnational Sport: Gender, Media, and Global Korea. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2012. Print. McCurdy, John A. "Upper Blepharoplasty in the Asian patient: The 'Double Eyelid' Operation." Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics of North America, 13.1 (2013): 47–64. Print. Nguyen, Marilyn Q., Hsu, Patrick W and Dinh, Tue A. "Asian Blepharoplasty." Seminars in Plastic Surgery 3.23 (2009): 185-119. Print. Read More