People always seek to be more attractive.
D&PS: The relativity of what is considered beautiful and attractive may be at the very core of aesthetic trends. Based on your long experience as a dermatologist and plastic surgeon, what is the current aesthetic trend and how do you see it change in the future?
Choi: About a decade ago, patients wanted pretty much the same things. But today the patients’ demands have become more varied. I think this will continue in the future. We used to focus on changing the static form but now we want a more natural and subtle improvement. For example, the wrinkle removal treatment does not strive to completely remove all wrinkles but rather create a naturally rejuvenated appearance.
Hong: For a while, everyone wanted to have a baby face. But a survey showed that people wanted to appear only about 5 years younger than their age. They want a subtle improvement, not a complete change. This is an important aspect to consider for an aesthetic plastic surgeon.
Rhee: Recently, plastic surgeons have come to understand that analysis of soft tissues including the skin and muscles is just as important as that of the bone structure. As I have mentioned earlier, the trends in aesthetic surgery is moving toward static improvement to a more natural dynamic improvement. Now, the surgical outcome should create natural facial expressions. In other words, the trends are moving away from aggressive structural change toward preserving or improving soft tissues.
Hong: The golden ratio was always brought up in discussions about attractiveness. But the golden ratio cannot be applied to everyone. Therefore, it is important to find a good compromise between the doctor’s suggestions and the patient’s demand, rather than follow an absolute standard.
Rhee: One can start with statistical data showing what the general public prefers and later develop one’s own references.
Choi: There are no common standards of beauty. Only personal standards exist. If doctors can adjust their own standards to reflect the public trends, they might be able to enjoy a long-term success in their career.
There is still a lot to discuss on the topic of attractiveness. Systematic study on the scientific concept of physical attractiveness is still in the early stages in Korea. The three doctors agreed that more research is needed on the concept of attractiveness to improve the field of aesthetic medicine.
HELIOSⅡ/LOTUSⅡ/HYPERION – Manufacturer: LASEROPTEK(www.laseroptek.com)
There are two types of physical beauty; absolute and relative.
Absolute beauty does not change,
whereas relative beauty can change depending on the region, race, culture, time period, trends and gender, etc.
An aesthetic plastic surgeon needs to find the right balance between absolute and relative standards of physical beauty.
-Dr. Hong, Samskin Plastic Surgery-
There are no absolute standards of attractiveness.
There are only reference points for what is considered attractive in each time period.
What is deemed attractive today have evolved from the past’s homogenized, universal and static standards.
The new trend favors natural expressions and individual uniqueness.
I would like to summarize this evolution as following; ‘From Static to Dynamic, From Universal to Individualized.
-Dr. Rhee, Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital-
We used to focus on improving the form but now we are also concerned with improving the color, tone and glow.
What is considered attractive will only become more varied in the future.
-Dr. Choi, Wells Dermatology & Medical Spa-
Article/Shin Yunae, Photography/Kim Younggil
