Korean Beauty And Their Obsession With Blepharoplasty
Note
This article does not in any way classify all Koreans, but only those who have done plastic surgery. In no way do all Koreans change their features or even like the western look. In no way is this article meant to disrespect or stereotype people of Asian descent.
Korean Beauty
I fell in love with South Korea because I believe they have a wonderful history and I have a thing for Asian people. The few Asians I have actually met have been really good to me. I worked with a Malaysian and we shared such a strong bond. I love her so much and she feels the same about me.
I wanted to learn more about Korea after watching a few of their dramas so I started researching about their food and culture. However, after watching a few more of their very dramatic dramas, I began to question whether or not they were depicting their actual beliefs in these shows or were they acting to please the western populace.
After doing some extensive research I found a few things which really astonished me.
- Their standard of beauty is very vain and I will explain this deeper in this article
- Their idea of age is also very vain
- unlike people here in the west they are not ashamed or embarrassed about admitting to plastic surgery. As a matter of fact they encourage it.
What is blepharoplasty?
Originally, blepharoplasty was the surgery used to correct deformities and disfiguration of the outer skin of the eyes. However, in recent years it has been used as corrective surgery for people who wish for an aesthetically pleasing look.
This form of eye surgery is the most popular surgery done in Korea and it is encouraged at at early age. The surgery includes an incision on the upper lid of skin, removing excess skin or adjusting tissue and muscles to get the desired look.
Are you a Korean Beauty?
The standard of beauty in Korea is so specific that it's quite hard for their young people to meet. As we all know, Asians, especially Koreans, Chinese and Japanese all have facial features which are unlike whites, Indians or Blacks. Some people cannot tell the difference and sometimes refer too these nationals as "Chinese", which is understandable because their features are so similar.
- Their eyes are usually smaller and slanted with no fold and little or no lashes.
- Their faces are usually round and smaller
- Skin is usually pale yellow
- Nose is small and button like
- Lips might be fleshy and pink
The natural features mentioned above are not seen as beautiful in Korea and because of this kids are pressured into getting plastic surgery in order to meet the standard below:
- Big eyes
- Skin fold over eyes
- Long lashes
- Pointy nose aka "the white man's nose"
- Pale skin
- Being skinny
- Small face
Western Standard of Beauty?
The pale skin
It is true that some of these features of beauty are what we in the west have set the standard to be. However the pale skin beauty in Korea was their own cultural standard set centuries ago when aristocrats were seen as more beautiful because they spent less time in the sun.
Koreans are not the only people to view pale skin as beautiful though for entirely different reasons. Black people have been told how ugly they are and as a result have been bleaching the skin to become paler. In Jamaica the culture of bleaching has reached epidemic proportion. When asked why they bleach, young men and women will respond that it makes them pretty.
Koreans are encouraged to pale the skin in order to become more beautiful. It is quite difficult to find make-up for dark skinned people in Korea because of this standard.
In the west, tanning has become very popular during the last few decades and this has proved to us here in the western world, that pale skin is not necessarily what we see s beautiful. There are numerous dark skinned models who are very famous so there is no misconception about skin beauty here.
Skinny
The standard of beauty set by models and beauty pageants have always been "skinny is more beautiful". This is a known fact in the western world though it is now changing. We are now seeing plus sized models hitting the runway but will we ever see a fat woman entering the Miss World Beauty Pageant?
Korean women will starve themselves and even ridicule another for eating too much in order to maintain that perfect stature. Though skinny by nature they aim to be even more skinny as they feel they will not get a boyfriend if they are fat or ugly. It seems that being skinny is a huge part of being beautiful in Korea.
It's all in the eyes?
Asians do not naturally have folded skin over the eyes like the rest of the world but for some reasons they think this is beautiful. I can't disagree but then again I was born with this fold.
At one point I thought how cool it would be to live in Korea but with the idea that I would be told how ugly I was for my dark skin I decided against it. I know how beautiful I am but living in a sea of people who have no qualms about telling other people how ugly they were was not something I want to subject myself to.
High school students are encouraged to have plastic surgery in order to meet these ridiculous standards in order to start dating. The eyes is where the surgery starts and then move on to other areas of the face. They get the fold on to the top and then add long lashes to boot.
This is the most popular surgery in Korea as they are obsessed with having the eyes look this way. Even women in their mid thirties and over forty are getting this surgery in order to look 'pretty'.
Old people not welcome
Though very respectful to their elders if you are single past the age of thirty you become an old spinster. Males are subjected to less ridicule because of age and can marry at any stage.
Women over thirty are known as old and though the age dating barrier is changing where younger men are told it's okay to date older women, they will still be subjected to ridicule. Parents will object and you the female may find yourself marrying a foreigner because you can't get a Korean date.
As a single 42 year old female it would be next to impossible for me to even think of falling in love in Korea let alone date or get married. The odds are stacked against you the older you get. Imagine a colored female age 42 trying to find love in a place where the standard of beauty is very pale skin, straight nose, skinny and under the age of thirty. Wouldn't it be the same as becoming a nun?
The "before" photo looks like Bruce Lee. He wasn't that bad looking to begin with.
I am Beautiful
In order for the Korean to say "I am beautiful" they must meet the standards set by their own society. Without the money for plastic surgery, if you weren't born with these features, you are doomed to remain single and being told everyday by peers, parents and and strangers you meet, how ugly you are.
I know I am beautiful by western standards. I have many features of what Koreans see as beautiful. I have large eyes, folded skin over the eyes, full lips, small face and being skinny is easy to achieve. But my skin tone, though pale in comparison to my fellow countrymen would stand to be deemed ugly on Korea. I am known to be one of the more beautiful women in my country yet I know I would be ugly in Korea.
What this means is that in order to meet the standards I would need to bleach and become paled skin. No way would I do that. But this isn't about me.
What about the millions of Korean boys and girls who believe they are ugly thus subjecting themselves to undergoing numerous plastic surgeries in order to become beautiful?
There doesn't seem to be any sign of this changing anytime soon as more and more young people are doing what they need to do to get a boyfriend or become actors.
Until they see themselves as beautiful in their own eyes there will be no change and the rest of the world will be seen as ugly.
Useful resources
The Business Insider: Here is an article which speaks about the practice of plastic surgery for Koreans.
© 2013 Carolee Samuda
Comments
Really very interesting study and points made here....I was fascinated reading about the standards of beauty and the lengths some will go to reach those standards. Well done my friend.
Very interesting topic. Great pics! I do agree that the people look fantastic after the plastic surgery. The look is very natural unlike what some people in the states get. Voted up.
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Hi Billy, thanks for always being the first to read my stuff!
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Hello Sara, my problem is that they see others as ugly. Unless you are extremely white, large eyes and so soon they tell you how ugly you are. They can't see beyond their own standard of beauty. They have no understanding of what inner beauty is either. For instance, though I am not white I may be beautiful to someone who is. It's not so with Koreans.
I've seen Asians here in the US walking around in winter clothing and large umbrellas in the heat of summer. Guess it's to keep their skin white. It all makes sense now. Thanks.
Oh this is a very interesting one. I worked with many Koreans and I can attest to the veracity of this Hub. Thanks!
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Sara, that's very funny. Here in Jamaica the people who bleach do the exact same thing...lol
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Thanks Nicholas, I may visit Korea but I have definitely changed my mind about living there for any extended period.
Very interesting, Carolee. I even watched over half that video with the cute little Korean girl, but then I realized I was watching it just to see her cute antics and really wasn't learning anything, so, back to work!
And I certainly didn't realize people--especially Asian people--were so vain about how they looked. And how sad....
Thanks, Carolee
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Hi James, it's not all Asian people but Koreans specifically. I think the Japanese have a thing for milky skin as well but not the plastic surgery thing. Chinese are not particular about that kind of beauty.
Thank you for this. I am from the school: "beauty comes from a lover's eyes".
It seems so crazy. What happened to "beauty is within?" Interesting article from firsthand experience.
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Hi Martin, that's the best beauty of all. :)
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Hi Rosie, they know no such thing as beauty within. You say that to a Korean and they give you a blank stare. Whereas the Chinese and Japanese are deeper thinkers, these people are quite superficial.
Asian standard of beauty is weird. It´s not only the Korean but also the Filipino people. It seems like they are ashamed of their own race. I mean brown is beautiful. I´m an Asian too, but I can´t understand why most of my friends like to have white complexions. They are using whitening for their skins. They sometimes scolded me of walking around in the heat of the sun without umbrella.
Thanks for sharing your information about Korean beauty. Filipinos are fond of looking Korean dramas because of their beautiful Korean idols.
Wow. I love the Asian culture but this is an eye opener for me. I knew in a way that pale skin would be the ideal beauty for Koreans as I have heard it and read about it in some studies before. It is quite a shame to be so superficial and looks do fade away eventually...for everyone.
I voted this one Up and Interesting.
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Hi Thelma. it is weird. I had no idea that Filipinos felt the same. Japanese women are like that but don't do the plastic surgery. I can't understand the obsession with a beauty that you were not born with. After the plastic surgery many Korean can pass for Caucasians because they don't look Asian at all...i's really weird.
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Hi Erica, I too love the Asian culture especially the food. I was shocked and disappointed about this as I was really planning on going there. I had no idea that half the people I was seeing on screen had numerous plastic surgery to look they way they did.
Wow, I did not know this about Korean people. I knew they were skinny but the rest, no. There is no way i would have plastic surgery, especially the eyes, although i wouldn't mind getting rid of a few wrinkles. Ha. This is a great hub. Your presentation is very good Cardisa. Thank you...
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Hi Ruby, I always love seeing you. Yes, it was shocking to me too. I can't believe how vain they are about looks but as one person pointed out, they do look better afterwards. My biggest problem is their blatant way of telling others how ugly they are.
Brazilians are more known for their plastic surgeries than Koreans are. Where did you find out about this behavior? Which website?
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Hello Sara, I don't know about Brazilians so cannot compare. I would like to check the data to be able to tell the ratio.
There are several Asian articles and websites which talk about this practice. There have been studies as well. Mostly I get information from people who have lived there. I am going to be posting a video a friend made. She is a teacher in Korea who is participating in a study about Korean beauty practices.
Hi Cardisa,
I don't normally read articles of this nature, but I found this to be useful, interesting, beautiful, perplexing, and mind boggling all at the same time.
First I thought that the article has racial undertones. For example, Asians may not look different from each other to us, but they would to themselves. Honestly speaking, how many Caucasians and Indians you have seen who are visibly different from each other. However, as I moved on I found the article to be interesting from my personal and cultural perspectives.
1. Although the trend is changing, ladies in my ethnic group also want paler / fairer skin, but not 'white skin' for boys look down and frown upon white skin.
2. I had a Korean girl friend in my university days. We went along well. I had lots of respect for Koreans because I used to practice Taekwondo and my country of origin was held in high esteem in the 1980s. That did play a major role among many other factors. However, we decided to part ways and one major reason was the future of our children.
3. I am glad to report that if my dog K2 and I move to Korea, then from what you have described in this article, at least K2 will pass their standard of beauty. Have a look at his pictures and I am sure you will agree ;-)
oh,my god,they are beautiful.
As a military brat I can attest to what you are saying. Standards for beauty in Korea are very narrow. I did know a couple where the female was AA but they kept the relationship secret. The odd thing is there are so many black beauty supplies in the states owned by Koreans. Interesting how the cultures intersect.
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Suhail, my first a foremost response is that K2 is very beautiful and would certainly find love really fast! You are such a sneak, capturing my heart with your dog. :))
I had no intention of making race a primary part of this article, yet it would be hard to describe a nation without it seeming so. If there is anything I can do to tone down the racial aspect I will certainly do so. The section where I compared Koreans with other Asians was only to make a point but will adjust it in order to make it sound less prejudice.
I have no doubt that there are Korean men and women who date and marry outside their own race. I also know that there are a few Korean men and women who date blacks (I am black).
I think they are still hung up on mixed race when it comes to children especially those from deep traditional families.
Thank you for reading and commenting. Have a great day and please give my regards to K2.
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Hi Gossda. They are beautiful whether they do plastic surgery or not.
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Hi Clara. There are a few Korean who date colored people and quite a number who date whites.
Thank you Cardisa for leaving nice response. I really appreciate it. Your message to K2 has been conveyed and one can tell he says. "woof woof" in appreciation.
I lived in Japan, and I think there are some similar perceptions of beauty. Pale skin, very thin bodies and big eyes - the "childlike" appearance was quite popular. I think a lot of people did get plastic surgery, but it's still more hush-hush than Korea. I think that's a bit sad, too be honest, that so many people are pressured to change their face to be "beautiful." On the other hand, the same things do happen in America, too. I hope in the future people will relax their demands of what is okay and beautiful, but I kinda doubt that will happen anytime soon, unfortunately...
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You can thank K2 for that...lol...can't see his owner so clearly but I suppose he's has handsome as his dog. I have a weakness for handsome men.
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I agree with you Aliasis. In Korea, plastic surgery is no big deal but in other parts of the world it tend to be frowned up on. I know that females in Japan are pressured into paling of the skin. This practice was traditional for the Geisha in olden days. They were known to be the most beautiful women in Japan with the palest faces.
LOL Cardisa. Where were you when I was looking for my life companion back in the late 80s? I bet you must have been too young back then to care for all that or not even born (my bad luck hahaha).
Btw, on another note, my Chinese colleague can tell the difference between Chinese, Japanese and Koreans at one glance, something that probably we will be hard pressed to do. Otoh, I can't find a difference between eastern Pakistanis and northwestern Indians, unless they speak. Speech is a give away there. But travelling internationally, I can easily tell who is continental European, British, and American.
The world gets interesting place to travel when you start taking those notes.
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Suhail, do I look that young? I was born in the early 70s...lol...wasn't thinking of life partners or anything but climbing trees, reading and making up stories...hahaha. Every time I meet the man of my dreams he's taken! Jeez :))
I feel weird because I can always tell the difference between Chinese and Japanese. I am yet to tell the difference between Vietnamese and Filipinos. I think I can tell the difference between Koreans, Chinese and Japanese after all the research I have done.
Nice interesting topic. Thank you for sharing. I was in China for work a while back and was really amazed at how beautiful and young most people there looked in comparison to what we normally see.
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Hi Zubair. I think the Chinese are the people who have the secret to eternal youth. Their lifestyle is quite different from Korea and Japan. The Chinese believe in Qi also called Chi, which is the life force from within. The external is not as important as what's inside and that is where these cultures differ.
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Thanks for stopping by Vishakha. Have a great day!
It's some great facts You have mentioned here Cardisa. Even though I am an Asian, I didn't know these stuff before. My Bad i guess, should read more now on :) It's so unbelievable even to think why people care so much about their appearance, forgetting everything about the inner beauty. Well... That's how the world goes I guess...
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Hello Priyadarshana, welcome to Hubpages!
I figure a lot of Asians have no idea what's going on in Korea. We in the west know more because we are more fascinated with the different cultures. We also like to compare east to west so will tend to find things out about the east which otherwise would have remained uncovered.
Thanks for reading my hub. Have a great day!
Great article! I was fascinated from beginning to end.
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Thank you Vlogan25. Thanks for reading and commenting.
Cardisa: Such an interesting article. How sad that Koreans do not believe themselves to be beautiful and want western features. There is way too much emphasis all over the world for superficial beauty. I had no idea it was this strong in Korea. I can't believe they tell one another they are ugly. That is horrible. I would think only the wealthy would be able to afford plastic surgery. What will they do when they really ate old and wrinkled? Great and interesting read.
I'm glad you wrote this. As someone who is mixed (Ghanaian, German and Swedish) and has been in America her whole life, it was really strange to see the standards of Korean beauty when I lived there with a friend for three weeks. (I just came back about a week ago.) The plastic surgery is very extreme and the obsession with whitening creams and skin bleaching is almost hurtful to a person like me. I appreciate you writing more about the Korean perspective, I think more people should know about this.
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Hello Suzette, thanks for stopping by.
If you are over thirty, female and single you are looked upon as a spinster. The elderly aren't really ridiculed and are respected by the young people. So when you get to 40 and over you are not spoken to in a derogatory manner. At that point it doesn't matter.
Koreans are quite blunt and are not afraid to tell you what they think. Say you are trying new clothes in a store and you ask another shopper what they think; in the US, the person will not want to hurt your feelings so will tell you it's okay even if it's not. In Korea they tell you exactly how you look even if your feelings get hurt. It's all about appearance and there are mirrors everywhere; in the elevators, in the stairwell, on the subways, EVERYWHERE!
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Hello Lydiara, everyone I know who lived there tells me the same thing. The mixed race Koreans with darker skin are often left to feel like outcasts and are often pressured to pale the skin. It is believed that one in every 5 Koreans have had plastic surgery and the number is climbing rapidly. High schoolkids are given flyers about plastic surgery and parents send them off to have it done. The basic eyelid surgery is not that expensive and you get to go home in a couple of hours.
Carol Lee this is such a good article and shows why you are such a talented writer. The Korean standards you bring up make me think of the globalization of cultural standards being media etc fed on mainly first world countries. We are all diverse and similar and should be proud of that without trying to appear different.
Btw, when i first saw the Korean superstar boy it made think of him as the Asian Justin Beiber? version of tingling girlhood fantasies.
Several decades ago i participated in a program where you went and stayed with a foreign family for a week or two and then later someone from that country would return the visit. Well, the young Korean lady that came to my home was wearing traditional K dress with no attempts at plastic surgery or rather "white" make-up and she was smart, attractive and friendly and didn't need any changes. Her goal was to become an American citizen and I now wonder if she had children what changes to themselves they've done.:)
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Hey Handsome, I haven't been good to you. I promise to hang around HP some more and catch up with my good friends.
There are some families in Korea which are still traditional. They are few but they live in the old country. The main culprit for this kind of thing is Seoul. The boy in the picture does look like Justin, even the hair says that. Many of these young people are trying to look like American actors and superstars.
Koreans aren't the only ones trying to change their appearance to the "ideal" they think is standard. Colored people are still bleaching to look paler. I think this obsession is with the current generation and not those over 35.
We are in complete agreement on the subject my Jamaican Jewel! Btw, the pro photographers are now taking pics of yours truly so I too have been tardy to the party on HP some. But, I consider it my re-up writing alma mata and made many good friends so hope to continue a decent presence when can. Later m'lady and thanks again for a great read.
Thanks for the interesting hub!
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Thanks you Toptenreview.
Wow that's fascinating - thanks for this!
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Thanks FullofLovesites. Have a great day!
Plastic Surgery In Seoul, Korea
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"93% of all women have had plastic surgery done, here in Seoul, Korea."
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"You'll see in these ads, how extreme the makeovers are. They'll actually physically go through, and chisel away, recarve, their facial structure, their skeleton, their bone. To change their jawline, to change their forehead line."
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Video Uploader Comment:
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someday everyone in USA will look at a beautiful korean in the US the way people look at gifted blacks , as not deserving but an affirmative action baby. When in reality they are naturally gifted and didn't affirmative action and yet people will think otherwise . That is why it's wrong to mess with nature and wrong to have policies of social engineering in society
DJ Doc. USAF
whoa, I am Korean and I am tired of people who bring up this subject whenever I tell them where I am from. Even the teachers in school mocks Koreans for this whole plastic surgery matter. Actually one of my teachers were very cruel and well, said a lot of bad things about us (obviously she did not know that she had a Korean student in her class) I agree with some of the parts of your article and am very happy that you did not write it offensively, but what i just want to say is that it is NOT TRUE that every Koreans are obsessed with plastic surgery and the western face look or something. It is sad that media has been exaggerating it more and more to the extent it makes me wonder if I have to have plastic surgery of any kind done to be a true Korean girl.
I used to live in Seoul (Gangnam, to be more exact..the place that is known for plastic surgery) so I know. Not everyone thinks that only a typical westerner face is beautiful. I do not even know anyone that I know in Korea who has this surgery done. Yes, I admit that Koreans do get plastic surgery done a bit more than others, but it is not like every single one of them. Some still disapprove this surgery thingy, some like their Asian looks when others do not.
Living in North America, I get to meet and see many people from different countries and backgrounds. And I can see that it is not only us who are interested in seeking what is beautiful in their standards. Not many westerners have plastic surgeries done on their faces, but I've seen quite a lot of people who get their boobs and butts jobs done.
Ever since the media starts to focus on plastic surgery thing and the world started to pay attention to it, I get the feeling that the media is making this problem bigger than it really is. And well, I guess is how the Koreans=Plastic Surgery addicts all started from.
What I believe is that this is not "oh, Koreans they know nothing. They can not think properly and they believe that beauty means everything, and they are the only ones who think that way" thing, I believe it as a problem world wide. Sorry if this offended anyone, I really did not mean to. It is just that my writing sucks and I can not express everything I want to say.
Yup, so please people do not just randomly come to me and tell me "Did u get plastic surgery done too? If not, please don't. Seek for the inner beauty" or something similar. Koreans on TV do get surgeries done, but please understand that they do not represent rest of the people in Korea:) (sorry my english and grammar sucks)
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Hello YUP, I am really sorry that people have been so insensitive to you. For people to walk up to you and sat what they do is really cruel. I DO NOT believe all Koreans are obsessed with western looking features and I apologize if the article sounded that way. As you rightly said, the media sensationalizes stuff and maybe my article was meant more to grab attention than anything else. I will reread and edit, if necessary, to make it more like what I intended. Thanks for stopping by.
For the record, I kinda prefer Koreans with their original looks and not the plastic surgery versions. As I mentioned, not all Korean do plastic surgery and many of the ones who don't are really beautiful people.
Thank you Cardisa, I really did not expect a very kind reply like this. I like your article, it is not offensive at all. I just wanted to say something to the people who believe in the stereotype of Koreans...:) Sorry again if I was rude or imprudent, I did not mean to..
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Yup, on the contrary, you were not rude. I liked your comment. I agree that some people stereotype Koreans and that isn't right. I really like Koreans and the culture, especially the food...lol I think you are a beautiful people.
I'am a white women who married the only son of a Korean family. He is the 4th child out of 5. The rest are all female. They have an obsession about their looks, weight, everything !!! I had no idea how self asborded they were about themselves !!! It's very strange to me !! Of, course I very much try to take care of myself, no self respecting southern girl wouldn't. It just seems extreme with them !!!!
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Hi Cindy, wow, it must be hard to have to deal with all that. I was shocked at how much effort they put into looks and I know that their weight is also very important. What they call fat is ridiculously small, which is hilarious.
I watched the documentary "Dark Girls" and it talked about colorism which is discrimination against someone because of the relative lightness or darkness of their skin color; not to be confused with racism which applies to ethnic/national groups. Colorism occurs within one's race, such as Latinos, Indians, African-Americans, and Asians. In the documentary they said how the majority of skin care products sold in Asia contain some kind of skin-lightening/bleaching ingredients, even though they are known carcinogens (tampering with your skin's melanin doesn't sound safe to begin with).
I think that over time standards of beauty around the world will become more accepting of diversity and that there will be more than one specific way to look beautiful. It will probably be another 50 or 60 years, but I hope we'll get there someday!
Anya
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Skin lightening is very prominent in some Asian countries like South Korea and Japan. I agree that this wont change anytime soon, though I hope it does, Until people realize that beaching the skin of bad for them, then it will continue.
This was an interesting read, Cardisa. I knew the Japanese were quite obsessed with giving themselves a more Western appearance, but I didn't realise Koreans were taking it to such lengths. I guess we are all attracted to what is different to the norm in our own country.
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Hi Jodah. Yes, we sometimes feel that what is beautiful is different from what we are ourselves. Most of these Asian women also use skin whitening creams to become "pretty". They see white kin as more beautiful.
Being British Chinese and never having any strong connection to things going on back east, I had no idea how shallow Asians are becoming. There is and has always been this vanity thing in more wealthy parts of Asia, and I have some experience of it from female cousins from Hong Kong, but consciously rejected this pressure to conform. That's just me though.
I did sometimes wish I was born back where my people are from (just to feel I belonged), but now I'm almost grateful I don't have to deal with this unhealthy and damaging attitude to race and beauty.
I do have to correct you on one thing: not all east Asians are born without eyelid folds. I am one of them, so is an Asian friend of mine. Both of us would not be considered beautiful by Asian standards. But at least we're natural!
I'd also like to say, some of most attractive people I've ever seen are black and tan skinned people. Male, female, I can't explain it, I just think they're more attractive. Is it because I grew up in the west? And I've been exposed to a variety of different people?
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Hello DeeannGee,
Thanks for pointing out that error with the double fold lids.
I suppose since you were exposed to many more cultures, your outlook on race would be different. I think Koreans and less exposed to the black culture and people, hence their outlook. But this thing about being white as more beautiful is ingrained in their culture from hundreds of years ago when their noble women would stay out of the sun and being looked upon as fairer. They would be seen as more beautiful than those exposed to the harsh sun.
Just coming across this article- so helpful. I am the mom of a daughter adopted from South Korea. She is 16 now, but the first time I recall her commenting on her skin color was when she was three! (I am caucasian and maintain a healthy tan due to being outdoors and active.) I am heaartbroken that my daughter does not view herself as beautiful. (She is a "head-turner" in that when she walks in a room, heads turn due to her striking looks, btu she does not see this.) If I had a nickel for every well-meaning, but ignorant, person who has said to me "just tell her how beautiful she is and show her pictures of darker skinned models" I could've retired to my own personal island. My daughter's obsession is also intermixed with her issues of belonging-- as she immerses herself in Korean culture (something I have always encouraged) she is absorbing their mores. They are such a visual, imitative culture and the fact that the entire country has access to the fastest internet speeds on the planet serves to feed this visual obsession. My daughter is devoted to the kpop boy bands (ironically, she does NOT like the girl bands) and as you look at their youtubes and album covers, they are photoshopped to the max. I will continue to do everything I can to help her learn her own worth regardless of her appearance, but this is a very difficult time for her. Thank you for your article.
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Hi Mirimarimari,
Thank you for sharing your experience. I am so sorry your daughter is going through this. I hope that some day, Koreans will see their true beauty and learn to appreciate themselves. Koreans and beautiful people and I am always surprised at how they put themselves down. They hate dark skin and they believe they aren't beautiful if their eyes are not big and round and if they do not have the double lids.
Keep showing her how beautiful she is and hopefully she will learn to appreciate herself.
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