Social Media Whip up Cosmetic Surgeries

By Chan Meng-hin（陳明憲）, Chen Ching-wen（陳靖文）

 

With the advancement of medical technology and the growth of social media, cosmetic surgery has become increasingly popular in Taiwan recent years. Diyo Chan（陳錦坤）, a junior of English Department of Shih Hsin University, wanted to do double eyelid surgery, but she has not done so because of the risks of the surgery.

According to a popular online media, the cosmetic surgery that most Taiwanese do is double eyelid surgery, the second place being breast enlargement, followed by cosmetic nose surgery, facelift, and liposuction,in that order.

Diyo said that she first came across cosmetic surgery via Youtubers and street billboards. They introduce the whole picture and describe thoroughly the entire process in Youtube videos. And she started to realize and zoom in on her imperfection and intended to do the surgery to get more beautiful. She said, “My eyes are not the same, as one is double eyelid and the other is not, which doesn’t look good.’’

Jayden Lai（黎湧楠）, an intern at Far Eastern Plaza Hotel Taipei（香格里拉台北遠東國際大飯店）, had been suffering from sleep apnea and malocclusion for the past years because of his jaw structure. Jayden’s jaw used to be crooked and consequently influenced his work and rest. He searched much information and took in his friends’ advices and made up his mind to do the orthognathic surgery years ago. His jaw was adjusted to the right position during  a surgery, which also gave him a better look.

 

The reason for Diyo not doing the surgery is the risks accompanying the surgery. She believed health is more important than beauty. As cosmetic surgery does have risks and medical after-effects, people should clearly understand how the surgery works and what consequences it could bring before doing surgery. Likewise, Jayden pointed out that his intention is not to be more good-looking, but to have a better life and get rid of those health problems he used to suffer from.

Social media like Facebook and Instagram do influence people’s willingness to do cosmetic surgery. People who did cosmetic surgery share their experience rigorously, attracting and encouraging other people to do it. In addition to social media, the Korean wave may also be a vital cause of the cosmetic surgery trend.

In Korean drama, the main characters are mostly good looking and have a good life with another stunning partners. Other than that, the K-pop stars are mostly perfect in body figure and appearance. As such, people develop a stereotype that people with nice looking faces will always get more chances and live a better life, a perception that boosts cosmetic surgeries.

People define cosmetic surgeries differently, and the resulting beauty also differs. It’s undeniable that self-concept is deeply affected by comparisons. And social media play a crucial role in creating perceptions of beauty. With advanced medical technology and the widespread ideas of cosmetic surgeries from social media, the trend should be long-lasting. People have their rights to change their appearances and body figures. The only question to ask is if you can accept the consequences that cosmetic surgery brings.