Women's Views on Cosmetic Surgery | Asian American Poll

PLASTIC SURGERY
(Updated Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025, 06:39:10 AM to reflect the 100 most recent valid responses.)

Assuming you are an Asian American woman, what is your attitude toward cosmetic surgery?
I would never consider undergoing it. | 42%
I might consider it in the future. | 27%
I am considering it. | 21%
I have had it performed. | 10%

Assuming you are an Asian woman willing to consider cosmetic surgery, which of the following procedures would you be most likely to consider?
Hip/thigh reduction | 4%
Breast augmentation | 33%
Reshaping the nose | 18%
Thinning the eyelids | 17%
Facelift | 8%
Removing skin irregularities | 20%

What is your attitude toward people who have had cosmetic surgery?
I have no particular feeling toward them. | 45%
I scorn them for being so vain and/or insecure. | 24%
I pity them for having the need to undergo it. | 23%
I envy them for being able to afford it. | 8%

This poll is closed to new input.
Comments posted during the past year remain available for browsing.

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WHAT YOU SAY

[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]

asian women need not change a thing about their appearance. to do so is giving in too easily to the idiotic trends of popular culture. asian women are beautiful just how they are.
holybs Wednesday, November 28, 2001 at 11:36:35 (PST)

to sticks & stones,

I cried when I read about your cousin's surgery because I can relate to what she went through. Apparently, my mother was this beauty in her youth, and she is still a beauty. Her looks passed to my only sister and not to me. Everyone who saw our family said they knew my mother and sister were related because they were so pretty, and I was not.

One time, my mother stared at me fixing myself in front of the mirror. She told me there was no hope, and she wondered out loud how she could have given birth to such an ugly child. What she said to me broke my heart into a thousand pieces.

I couldn't pass by a mirror without criticizing my looks. I seriously considered having surgery, but thank goodness I had friend who said so many wonderful things about me. She told me I was the most beautiful human being inside and out. Her constant reassurance made me realize my mother was so wrong about me.

I may have been an ugly duckling in her eyes, but I am a swan in the eyes of my friend. I'm very fortunate to have a friend like her. What I'm saying is surgery isn't a cure, but a symptom of an even greater problem.
looks aren't everything Tuesday, November 27, 2001 at 21:52:56 (PST)

Dear, Sticks & stones ... hurt me. Will it?

>People now, especially her >family,always compliment how beautiful >she is.

It's awfull that her family is saying how beautiful she AFTER she got the surgery. The fact that her family even had to wait for her to get the surgery to tell her how beautiful she is makes me sick to the stomach. She broke every rule that a doctor has for patients undergoing surgery, that being the first and most important, you should only get the surgery done for one reason only, and that is becasue the individual herself want it done, not becasue of pressures of family or society.

I feel total anger towards her family , for being totaly superficial and moching their own blood for features that were bestowed upon her by their own genes.
Giggles Monday, November 26, 2001 at 05:35:36 (PST)

short azn gurrrlie said:

we Asians also have additional insecurities brought on by being of a minority race

Hahahahaha. Asians? A minority race? Hehehehehe. That is the best one liner I've heard for a while. :)
We are the largest race in the WORLD!!! Asians rule the world in numbers. 2/3 of the world are Asians.
Why do you think all other races are so worried about us? Because if we wanted to take over the world today, we could do it. And the world would be a much better place anyway.
Anyway, regarding these "insecurities" you say we have about our features. I doubt it is because we are a "minority" race. Why is it that even Asians in non-white countries (where we are a the world's majority) now have also come to accept the western ideal of beauty, that is white, blonde, tall, blue or green eyes, big boobs, narrow and thin high bridged noses? Wake up, it's not because we are small in numbers, its because our cultures aren't as pride oriented as other races' cultures.
Just a little fact: An Asian living in Asia is four times more likely to get eyelid surgery done than an Asian living in a western nation. The statistics of Asians getting their Asian eyes "removed" reaches their highest peaks in Korea and Taiwan, and followed closely by Japan. In these countries getting surgery done on your eyes has become somewhat of a rite of passage, the equivalent of the nose job that a Jew gets when he or she turn 16. After your 16th bday a teenager in Korea or Taiwan is "encouraged" to get the eyelid surgery by their family. Asian Americans aren't as white-brain-washed as Asians in Asia seem to have been white-brain-washed. In total contrast to what you said
Giggles Saturday, November 24, 2001 at 05:18:14 (PST)

short azn gurrrlie do you have an email addie?

short asian girl 2
sag2 Friday, November 23, 2001 at 23:11:22 (PST)

o.k. my cousin had eyelid and nose surgery. She told me she got it since everyone in the family was constantly making fun of her teeny eyes, and somewhat bulbous nose. Her family teased her mercilessly almost to the point of cruelty.

I thought she looked fine as she was. After surgery,wow, she turned into a stunner. People now, especially her family,always compliment how beautiful she is. I wondered if her family wasn't continually on her case about her looks, would she have undergone plastic surgery? She is happy with the results. I guess that only really matters.

My advice is that words do hurt. And people should be careful with what they say. You never know who is listening.
sticks & stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me. Will it? Friday, November 23, 2001 at 13:54:02 (PST)

Although I disagree with the way Viatnemese Beauty is feeding into her daughters insecurities, we must all realize how hard it is being an Asian girl in America these days. Sure, we can all say that we are proud of our features and we are beautiful. But that dont mean that we dont feel differently inside. I get the feeling that Vietenemese Beauty is actually just a confused Asian teenager seeking advice on the surgeries she wants to get and not a mother because that story sounds unbelievable.
If you think about it, we have been told our whole lives what is beautiful and what is not, in other words white standard of beauty. And in reality, we as Asians have our own standard of beauty because our features are the opposite of what is considered a beautiful white feature. I mean, most Asians do not have blond hair and blue eyes, we have black. Most Asians do not have big eyes or narrow noses. Most Asians are not tall, and we tend to have shorter legs. We also have smaller breasts, which I spent a great deal of time worrying about last year. I mean, on top of all the normal insecurities we teenagers have to face, we Asians also have additional insecurities brought on by being of a minority race. It is really not fair if you think about it. None of my white friends have to worry about fitting into this "standard of beauty." At least we are naturally skinny though! Thats one of the best things. My non-Asian friend is anorexic and the same weight as me naturally and that really boosts my self esteem.
I have not considered any cosmetic surgery but it is hard to be an Asian teenager in white America. Now I know that people will probably bash me now for saying some of this stuff but you all know deep down in your heart how hard it is.

short azn gurrrlie Wednesday, November 21, 2001 at 23:44:00 (PST)

Vietnamese Beauty,
My aunt had that stuff done and in a couple of years it will start looking really awful. Totally reshaping the shape of your bridge really screws up your nose, think Michael Jackson. Cutting down the size of the nose is ok, but when you add to the size have you ever wondered what they add? It may look okay now, but trust me it gets worse. And as for the eyes, how in the world did you get rid of the "almond shape"? Did you get upper and lower surgery done and like pull the ends down or something? Geez, your daughter must have been REALLY ugly for you to go cut and snip at her whole face like that. I bet that even tho she looks white now, she is still really butt ugly. Ive seen vietnamese white mixes and I personally think Japanese white mixes are a lot prettier (which is what I am.) Considering how much you hate your looks, probably she hates you cuz she got the ugly looks from you. Geez if you were my mom I would probably be insane. I cant believe that you would get on a asian website and say all that, you got serious issues and you need to see a shrink.

rachel Wednesday, November 21, 2001 at 23:15:03 (PST)

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