AsiaNews Magazine Jan10-16,2014 ( Jan 1-7,2014) | Page 59

COVER STORY

January 10-16, 2014

ple are opting for “petit” surgery.
It refers to simple nonsurgical
procedures using injectable fillers
or Botulinum toxin type A, better
known as Botox.
In 2011, 145,000 Botulinum
toxin procedures were performed,
making it the most popular in
Korea, according to the ISAPS.
The figure far exceeded the total number of Korea’s three most
popular cosmetic operations—lipoplasty, breast augmentation and
rhinoplasty—conducted in the
same year which totalled 117,000
procedures. Hyaluronic acid, the
most popular type of dermal filler, ranked second on the list with
90,000 procedures.
These “injectables” have been
half-jokingly called the “fountain
of youth” for the elderly, but now
the range of patients includes the
very young as well.
“For younger patients it can
improve facial deformities and for

the older generation it can offer
rejuvenation,” said plastic surgeon
Seo Young-tae at ID Hospital.
The facial fillers have strengths
that both doctors and patients
recognise. They are more affordable than other cosmetic surgeries, and offer instant results and
quick recovery.
“I didn’t worry about aftereffects
too much because it was just one
injection taking only five minutes,”
said Min Sung-a, a graduate student who had Botox injected into
her jaw muscles to slim down her
face, long a concern of hers.
“There wasn’t a huge change in
my face shape but some friends
told me that I looked like I’d lost
weight. It made me feel good.”
Botox is a toxin-based drug that
can paralyse the muscle. It is not
only used to rejuvenate wrinkled
faces but also to reduce the size of
the muscles in the calf and jaw.
Fillers, on the other hand, re-

store volume to hollow areas such
as tear trough and smile lines.
Kim Hee-joo, a 31-year-old
office worker, received injectable fillers to lift her nose tip and
boost her confidence.
“My job requires me to have
frequent meetings and negotiations with many people. Confidence in appearance is not all but
it certainly helps me to deal with
other people,” Kim said.
The hospital where she had her
consultation recommended liposuction for her chin and a nose job,
which would have cost 3.5 million
won ($3,300). Instead, she decided
to opt for nose filler for 300,000 won.
“I wanted to see how my nose
would