Asian women are not strangers to plastic surgery. In fact, they refer to rhinoplasty and blepharoplasty as “the basics” because they are so prevalent that no one bats an eye if you’ve had one, or both, done. “Asians seek plastic surgery because they want more of a Westernized look that’s seen in Americans,” says Troy, MI plastic surgeon Anthony Youn, MD. “In many Asian countries, women with strong jawlines, masculine-looking foreheads and bumps on the nose are considered too harsh, and give women a stubborn or unpleasant appearance,” says San Jose, CA, facial plastic surgeon Chase Lay, MD. Read on for the 5 most popular plastic surgery procedures performed in Asia:
Double eyelid blepharoplasty
Asian blepharoplasty patients seek out the procedure with the main intention of having their eyes made rounder and more defined while still maintaining some of their Asian characteristics. “One of the most popular procedures done on Asian women is eyelid surgery. Such a large percentage of Asians are born without a fold or crease in the upper lid, which they really want,” says Dr. Youn. There are a variety of ways that this procedure is done. “Some have included the suturing technique, which essentially quilts a crease into place,” says Dr. Lay. “Or, a crease is burned into the eyelid with a hot needle, creating scar tissue which contracts and makes a crease.”
Jaw softening, aka V-line jaw surgery
Asian women are all about a soft jawline and will go to any length to achieve it. “An oval shaped or V-shaped face has always been considered attractive, soft and feminine,” says Dr. Lay. One approach includes an incision in the hairline right above the ear and another in the cheekbone. “In my practice I use a special unilateral facing drill bit that’s less invasive to reach the jaw and cheekbone.” The procedure, which is extremely invasive, necessitates up to one month of healing time, but the results are said to be outstanding, when done right, giving an almost childlike and angelic look.
Rhinoplasty
Asians seek out rhinoplasty—it ranks as one of the most commonly performed surgeries there—more than any other surgical procedure. Genetically, Asians have flat, wide noses, which most desire to be narrower with more projection. “We can augment the bridge to give it a nice profile from the side view as well as more definition and shadowing from an anterior view. Support can be added to the tip to give increased definition to the tip itself with cartilage grafting,” says Dr. Lay. “And, we can reduce the base of the nose (this is commonly done) to take away some of the broadness and flaring of the nostrils.”
Calf Reduction
A large percentage of Asian women are bothered by the bulkiness in their calves. To reduce the look of a leg that’s too muscular or too short, plastic surgeons can inject the muscle with Botox, block the nerve with radio-frequency energy ablation or even cut the muscle—all of these methods thin out the calf, making the legs look longer.
The Permanent Smile/Smile Lipt
Asian women feel that when the outer corners of the mouth are upturned (as opposed to turning downward), they come across as being happier. Known as the Smile Lipt, this surgical procedure is done to lift and curl the mouth. The facial muscles that give support to the mouth are manipulated in such a way that they are strengthened to give a permanent lift. Even if the patient is not smiling, the mouth will always appear as it is.
