The Different Attitudes Towards Plastic Surgery Around The World

Plenty of folks tend to get judgmental about people who get plastic surgery. Even though the cosmetic surgery industry is a billion dollar industry in North America, it’s still a topic that divides many. Those who are opposed to the concept of it see it as unnecessary or something that vain or insecure people would do. That’s just the very tip of generalizations. We all know we could go on and on about what some people say about plastic surgery.

It’s not all negative though. A lot people choose to keep the fact they had some work done to themselves, but there are other who are vocal about their own plastic surgery procedures. Take a look at Iggy Azalea. She’s been rather candid about her breast augmentation. In March, she told Vogue she got breast implants and it was something she thought about her entire life. “I love them so much I had to talk about them,” she then told E! Online.

In certain countries, the people are open about plastic surgery and embrace it. In fact, getting plastic surgery is seen as a status symbol or just a completely normal thing to do. These are the countries where the attitude towards cosmetic enhancements is more accepting. 

Brazil

Source: imagesgonerogue.com. Gisele Bundchen is a famous Brazilian fashion model

Brazil is often regarded as the country with insanely beautiful women—and it’s true. It’s also a country with a very liberal attitude towards plastic surgery. Even though Brazil makes up 3% of the world’s population, the country accounted for 13% of plastic surgeries performed in the world in 2013. 

Joao Carlos Sampaio Goés, a well known surgeon, says Brazilian people have a very open mentality compared to Europeans. They have a much greater ease in seeking plastic surgery. “It is a tropical country, where people enjoy exposing their bodies. This helps stimulate people to have surgery,” he said in this Guardian article.

Korea

Source: http://img.news.sina.com. An ad displaying before and after photos of jaw surgery in a metro station in Seoul, Korea.

Korea is the world capital of plastic surgery. It’s been dubbed this title since they have the most cosmetically enhanced people in the world. In fact, 1 in 5 women in Seoul have had at least one cosmetic procedure. When strolling around the city, it’s not uncommon to see ads and billboards of before and after photos of people who’ve had plastic surgery. With some of the best plastic surgeons in the world in Korea, both Koreans and foreigners from around the world are seeking treatments in Korea at high rates.

In this article, Kwon Seung-taik—a plastic surgeon in Korea—shares insight on the Korean mentality on beauty. He says Koreans believe beauty is something that can be attained through hard work, just like anything else. “Koreans see plastic surgery, and becoming prettier, as a challenge,” he says. He believes Koreans don’t see beauty as something to be envied, it’s something they can attain themselves if they truly want. With many Korean households with disposable incomes and districts that are fluttered with endless plastic surgery clinics, there’s simply a lot of choice and opportunity for plastic surgery.

The different perspectives and mentality on beauty and plastic surgery is fascinating. Here in Canada and the U.S, the media is fixated on speculating whether or not a celebrity's done plastic surgery—and they’re often met with backlash. That’s not to say that that doesn’t happen in other countries, but it seems like in Korea and Brazil, getting plastic surgery is simply a part of life.    

What do you think about the open attitude that Korea and Brazil have about plastic surgery?