06/26/2014 | By: Guest Contributor
Individuals across the globe are obsessed with the gratifying results of plastic surgery on the face, breasts, and body. Roughly 7.5 million individuals are traveling to South Korea — a plastic surgery mecca, where there is an entire region dedicated to plastic surgery clinics.
With 1 in 5 South Korean women undergoing cosmetic procedures, individuals from all over the world are flocking to Seoul for the experienced and artistic plastic surgeons and competitive costs.
Jessica Choi, a 33-year-old in Los Angeles, recently flew to Seoul to undergo plastic surgery. Jessica stated, “I just always feel like my eyes were never big enough. I used to even get made fun of when I was little for having Asian eyes. I think the results will be better in Korea because they know the Asian face better.”
Choi further added, “In high school, my first procedure was getting this double eyelid crease put in, and it made my eyes so much bigger. I remember how exciting that was. Just recently I had my nose done by a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, sort of a plastic surgeon to the stars, but it’s still not what I’m looking for. It was $8,000. In South Korea, it’s anywhere from $2,000 to $4-5000, so it’s significantly cheaper.”
South Korea’s Highly Distinctive Culture
The Korean peninsula is an alluringly uncharted piece of East Asia and for individuals traveling for cosmetic surgery, this highly distinctive culture can be enjoyed day after day.
The South Korean capital, Seoul, enlists small pathways with a dynamic energy. The restaurants serve deliciously spicy national dishes with astounding aromas and — an overall destination of significant tradition and history. Seoul is home to Bukhansan, the world’s most-visited national park and an astonishing affluence of locally produced modern art.
Explore the popularized region of Gangnam, referring to the part of Seoul situated on the south side of the Han River — highly distinguished for high-end shopping, restaurants, unique cafés, and entertainment.
Cosmetic Surgery Quick Facts
Americans spent more than $12 billion on cosmetic procedures in 2013, of which more than $7 billion was spent on surgical procedures and more than $5 billion on nonsurgical cosmetic procedures. $2.7 billion was spent on injectables and $1.9 billion was spent on skin rejuvenation.
The most common surgical procedure for people age 35-50 was liposuction; age 51-64 it was liposuction; age 65 and over it was facelift; age 19-34 it was breast augmentation; age 18 and under it was otoplasty.
Since 1997, there has been a 279% increase in the total number of cosmetic procedures. Surgical procedures increased by 89% and nonsurgical procedures increased by 521%.
Women had more than 10.3 million cosmetic procedures, 90.6% of the total. The number of cosmetic procedures for women increased over 471% from 1997. The top five surgical procedures for women were: breast augmentation, liposuction, abdominoplasty, breast lift and blepharoplasty.
Men had more than 1 million cosmetic procedures, 9.4% of the total. The number of cosmetic procedures for men increased over 273% from 1997. The top five surgical procedures for men were: liposuction, blepharoplasty, rhinoplasty, male breast reduction and otoplasty.
To learn more about cosmetic surgery, find a plastic surgeon near you.
