Asian Cosmetic Facial Surgery

Abstract

Within the past decade, Asian economies have grown exponentially, resulting in increased personal wealth and subsequent consumption of cosmetic procedures. Asian cosmetic surgery procedures in Western countries have also seen a growth pattern parallel to Asia. As this growth continues, facial plastic surgeons in Western nations will inevitably witness increased Asians in their patient population base. To meet this demand, the surgeon must incorporate a set of different aesthetic norms from the traditional Western philosophies. In addition, the plastic surgeon must also understand the unique cultural motivations for surgery. The Asian face has distinguishing features that are unique. As such, surgical techniques and aesthetic goals for a particular cosmetic procedure will be different than those for other ethnic groups. This article will review three of the most common cosmetic procedures unique to the Asian face: Asian blepharoplasty, lower facial contouring, and Asian rhinoplasty.

Survey of Common Aesthetic Practices Among Oculofacial Surgeons in Parts of the Asia-Pacific

“…Additionally, it does not require reliance on any buried permanent sutures to hold the fixation, allows easier identification of postseptal tissues through a wider aperture, and addresses the issue of skin laxity in the aging eyelid. 1,11 The drawbacks of this technique include longer recovery time and difficult visualization of the incision line. Identification of the incision line may be necessary if further revisions are required or for future reference for surgery in the fellow eye.…”

“…1 With increasing understanding of the process of aging and rejuvenation, both surgical and nonsurgical aesthetic options and techniques have grown over the years. Procedures which were initially used for medical indications, for example, botulinum toxin for dystonia, are now being used for aesthetic purposes as well.…”

Comparison of aesthetic facial criteria between Caucasian and East Asian female populations: An esthetic surgeon's perspective

“…Although, if aesthetic standards have changed over the years due to the influence of Western culture, 9 Asian women still want to preserve their ethnic identities by refining their Asian features rather than totally Westernizing their appearance. 10 However, relatively few scientific studies have been conducted regarding the current aesthetic canons in East Asian populations, in spite of the potential importance of such canons in aesthetic surgery for Asian people.…”

Exploring Patient Motivations and Impact of Asian Blepharoplasty

“…Although nearly 50% of Asians have naturally occurring "double-eyelids," [10][11][12] which differ from the Caucasian counterpart in terms of orbital anatomy, 1,2,13 Asian eyes continue to be characterized as "monolid" in popular culture. 2 Moreover, Chinese women with creased eyelids were deemed more attractive than those without eyelid creases by both Chinese and non-Chinese observers.…”

“…Although nearly 50% of Asians have naturally occurring "double-eyelids," [10][11][12] which differ from the Caucasian counterpart in terms of orbital anatomy, 1,2,13 Asian eyes continue to be characterized as "monolid" in popular culture. 2 Moreover, Chinese women with creased eyelids were deemed more attractive than those without eyelid creases by both Chinese and non-Chinese observers. 14 As such, much of the literature has aimed to contextualize Asian blepharoplasty historically and culturally [15][16][17][18] or discuss its controversy as a racial medicalization procedure.…”