Gangnam Style: South Korean Male Cosmetic Surgery Leads the World

The Gangnam area of South Korea, which has recently received global attention as a result of the popular “Gangnam Style” music video, is also well known for its high rates of male cosmetic surgery. In just the past few years, male rates of cosmetic surgery are increasing so rapidly that several surgeons have opened male-specific facilities.

As recently reported by The Wall Street Journal, the Gangnam district of South Korea has one of the highest rates of male cosmetic surgery in the world, a trend that will likely be spreading to the rest of the world. Procedures like nose jobs, eyelid lifts and liposuction are becoming extremely common in Gangnam and elsewhere. This area is one of the trend-setting hotspots for the rest of the world, as proved by the success of the recent music video.

Chin Implants, Face Lifts, Eyelid Lifts and Fat Transfer Popular for Male Patients

One surgeon compared the change to the changes in the world of men’s hairstyling. “Men used to go to a barber to get a haircut because it was considered embarrassing and unmanly to go a hair salon packed with women, right?” said Dr. Kim Soo-shin, a well-known South Korean doctor with a practice in Gangnam. “But that has changed. It’s no longer a big deal for a guy to visit a cosmetic-surgery clinic.”

Many of the popular procedures for men focus on facial aging, with eyelid lifts, chin augmentation, facial fillers and other non-surgical procedures being very common, particularly before major events like weddings. Body contouring procedures such as liposuction, tummy tucks, and body lifts are also very popular.

In a recent study, South Korea was shown to have the eighth-highest number of total cosmetic procedures, despite its lower population compared to larger countries. However, in number of procedures per thousand it leads the globe, with 15.4.

Photo by SodanieChea on Flickr.