The Difference in Beauty Standards between East and West

The most common plastic surgeries in the East and West show the huge difference in beauty standards.

As we live in a world that’s becoming increasingly obsessed with physical appearance, the demand for plastic surgery is on the rise especially in Asian countries like South Korea, the plastic surgery capital of the world.

Though many of us don’t stop to think about it, many Caucasian individuals also tend to undergo procedures to enhance their beauty, unlike the typical stereotypes people have that only Asians get plastic surgery.

Even though people say that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” you would think that a general standard of beauty would be fairly similar all around the world, regardless of ethnicity. However, when you see the two drastic differences between Asian preferences and Caucasian preferences in plastic surgery procedures, you will be left stunned.

In Korea, one of the most common types of surgery is V-line jaw reduction. This procedure appeals to the many Asians who are born with a rather square jawline, unlike the sharper, smoother “V” line seen below.

As you can see, the woman in the photo had a more widened, square jawline prior to having it reduced to a “V” shape.


Most Caucasians are born with the complete opposite bone structure, and may even add an extra prosthetic augmentation to create the wider structure as seen below.

With the standards of beauty and charm being completely opposite between Asians and Caucasians, check out some other before and after photos of V-line jaw reduction procedures and jawline augmentation procedures.

This Korean woman had a rougher, more square jaw line before reducing it down to a smoother “V” line.

This Caucasian woman augmented her jawline from the smoother “V” line to a more angular jawline.

Jaw reduction: before and after

Source: Explore Plastic Surgery

Contrary to popular belief, men undergo plastic surgery procedures as well. Below is a Caucasian man who went from a smoother, narrower jawline to a bulkier, wider structure.

So may be its true that beauty is very much in the eye of the beholder. With the East and West having differing opinions on what is aesthetically beautiful. I'll let you draw your own conclusions.