Asian Blepharoplasty As A Type Of Body Modification - Essay Example

Asian Blepharoplasty As A Type Of Body Modification Introduction In the contemporary Asia, the trend of pursing Western beauty among the natives of this continent has become the center of attention. An increasing number of Asians are turning to artificial procedures to change their looks either momentarily or permanently in order to fit an unrealistic Western ideal (Joo, 2012). Some of the procedures involve quick cosmetic applications that might or might not have prolonged side effects, but others, for instance the famous Asian Blepharoplasty, involve surgical procedures with different levels of risks. What stands out from all these procedures is the fact that body features of Whites continue to prevail among the Asian culture and to the Asians, attaining such an ideal look is worth any cost. They feel that the Western look is more appealing compared to their own looks. These procedures from the brief, fair kind ones to the most dangerous, 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 and 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 demands one to 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 halted, but it will not happen if Asians continue to endorse Western fashion in their own fashion industry. This research will discuss the factors that cause Asians to feel pressured to endorse Western beauty by focusing mainly on Asian Blepharoplasty. It will also discuss tough issues brought up by these societal influences and propose the resolution to this social problem. 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 in many ways and for different reasons. Historical evidence reveals 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 people simply watch television or flip the pages of a magazine to access every sort of body modification they need via advertisements. Special chemicals can align one’s hair and also transform the tone of his or her skin as well as its texture. Furthermore, surgical procedures can increase or reduce the size of a woman’s 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 is formed above the eye by a needle and sutured with a thread or just by a 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, which is also 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. Sometimes it also 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 give it a slightly wider gaze without making it look unnatural, something that Westerners have. Today, young adults in their 20s look for a slightly softer image compared to images that appear to be more musculine 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 late 90s when the bishonen boy ban sport gained popularity among men and women in Japan. These alleged kkonminam (beautiful flower boys) appearances are the ones that prevail in notable drama television series in countries such as Japan (McCurdy, 2013). The soft image comprises of double eyelids, less 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 musculine, but smooth body with boyish facial elements. Even older men 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 has had blepharoplasty. The Thai government even funds blepharoplasty tours, while in Japan, blepharoplasty is fast becoming part and parcel of everyday life and 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. Fortunately, this is not a big issue when 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 people define Asians, especially women, by normal physical features (Epstein and Joo, 2013). Furthermore, these physical appearances define them more compared to any other set of political agenda or historical experiences. Therefore, the key features that make them unique eventually end up being disruptive and destructive. Therefore, the procedures are wastage of resources and lose of uniqueness. Rather than endorsing these features, which make them look the same, many Asians opt to rather modify them by engaging in blepharoplasty. This is carried out using various methods with different success. However, the game is the same: to escape from physical limits of their culture and other Asian cultures so that they can 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. For example, unique looks, which might grant them a much stronger inner sense of their own appearance and self-respect. By missing this, they are more susceptible to the external forces of society besides their own strong yearn for success. Their solution, as explained by critics, is to wipe out the differences either through efforts of assimilation or undertaking these 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 deep psychological effects on non-Whites who are thinking about any kind of surgery and these transformations are overly far-reaching (Holliday and Elfving-Hwang, 2012). Altering ethnic looks can lead to guilty feelings. The choice of blepharoplasty might even affect a whole family; especially older members who are less keen to accept or even understand the need to endorse Western looks. This is because elders have a vital role in societies and are more inclined towards their own culture over exotic ones. Therefore, endorsement of blepharoplasty has mental influence on the conservatives, who are close to the person endorsing blepharoplasty. Taking into consideration the likely effects, the thought that many Asians continue to endorse blepharoplasty is shocking. Blepharoplasty complications are widespread with approxiamtely 10% of the patient undergoing 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 related to decision-making and seeing whether it will work (McCurdy, 2013). Failed procedures, which caused pain to the patient, are even more sophisticated. The financial losses are burdensome for the individual, his or 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 and legal problems need to be tackled. Majority of individuals deem that harsh government laws, loyally and constantly implemented, are the mainly reasonable methods of managing this highly-profitable industry. Nevertheless, remembering that this is a high earning industry, regulation will be less significant. At the moment, the government's inaction suggests an implicit approval. This endorsement only works to help the propagation of unsafe and unethical surgical clinics and also underpins the negative messages that Asians are already showered with through adverts (McCurdy, 2013). With that being said, the only main answer to change is in the minds of Asians themselves. It is up to them to realize that they need to stand up for their own culture and cherish what their culture gifts them with. There is no difference between a black person bleaching to become white and an Asian going through blepharoplasty; identify dilemma (McCurdy, 2013). Asians need to be taught how to be sure of themselves and stop looking into the ideals of other cultures for perfection. More Asians are becoming conscious of the scheming methods that they are being bombarded with on daily basis. At least such awareness will put them in a better position to make informed decisions and choices. 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