Asian Celebrity Plastic Surgery

In America, many celebrities retain their decidedly ethnic looks, such as actresses Zhang Ziyi, Sandra Oh and Lucy Liu, none of whom have sparked controversy for their looks. Their retention of their ethnic look does not seem to have affected their careers, either.

Others of a different generation, however, have opted for surgery, such as action film star Jackie Chan, who underwent a blepharoplasty (double-eyelid surgery) in 1976. It is said that he wanted a more “Western” appearance. Shortly after, in 1980, he began starring in foreign films — namely American ones.

There is much more speculation about celebrities and plastic surgery in Asia than America. They seem to have more work done in all areas of their body, from lifts to liposuction because of an increased pressure to constantly look pleasing. Many celebrities come under fire for rumors of having plastic surgery done, through compared “before” and “after” pictures. There is speculation that international film star Gong Li has had work done. Japanese pop singer Ayumi Hamasaki is rumored to have had 30 to 40 surgeries total, and there has been rampant speculation about Hong Kong actor Raymond Lam having repeated nose jobs. There was also speculation about Tracy Ip, Miss Hong Kong 2005, and Chinese television hostess Li Xiang, both of whom have denied rumors of surgery. Recently, Korean singer Kim Dong Wan of the boy band ShinHwa admitted that he had a nose job after having previously lied that he fell of the stage during a performance and broke his nose. Also, Singaporean blogger Dawn Yang, who was voted “Hottest Blogger” by hottestblogger.com, and featured in several magazines for her looks, sparked controversy in late 2005 when photos of her in junior college were leaked, in which she looked markedly different. She still has not made a definitive statement about the issue to this day. It doesn’t seem to have hurt her career, however, as she is currently filming an Asian television drama.

Hong Kong model and actress Gaile Lok is one of the few celebrities who revealed that she had breast augmentations, and later removed them due to health problems. Lok actually came under greater media fire for dating Hong Kong actor and singer Leon Lai in 2006 than for her breast enhancements.

The one major, well-known celebrity who has not had any surgery is one of Asia’s most popular current singers and actor Rain, who looks traditionally Korean yet is still rapidly gaining an international fanbase. Rain admitted in a CNN interview that he was actually rejected from several initial auditions for being “too ugly,” and for not having double-eyelids. It is said that he has not had any plastic surgery, which does not seem to have hindered his fame — he was named one of Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People Who Shape Our World.”

Plastic surgery, a complex topic, is only further complicated by ethnic considerations. There is no one standard of beauty for everyone, and surgeons try instead for the “best possible” personal result. Differing techniques for procedures do need to be developed, to address the varying needs of different ethnicities. If nothing else, one thing is clear: cosmetic surgery is personal, and every issue needs to be addressed personally.

Credits: Make me Heal; The Consumer Gateway