Thai women are going crazy for a bizarre kind of lip surgery to look like youthful South Korean K-Pop celebrities.

The cosmetic procedure alters the shape of the upper lip to give them the distinctive ‘Cupids bow' curve which is being offered in many clinics across Bangkok, Thailand.

Superstitions in China claim that appearance is a sign of someone who is comfortable in life and it has also been made popular by the worrying rise of the Korean drama and pop industry, with their women showing off the defined facial feature.

Nong Mook, one woman who had the surgery, said she wanted to look beautiful like the idols online.

She said: ‘The reason I went for the surgery was because my lips looked thick and lumpy. When I smiled, I had to clench my lips to make them look thinner. I was insecure about this.

'I saw other Thai women having this surgery so I wanted it, too. They looked like really breautiful Korean singers and actresses.

‘After the surgery, the doctor asked me if I liked it. I couldn't believe what I was looking. Now I can smile normally and I look much better than before.'

The surgeon performs surgery on the left and right upper lip to make a sharp curve like an upside-down cup and make the two lower arches meet in the middle.

The lower lip is partially trimmed to form a triangular arc. In some cases the lower lip will be made thinner to match the upper lip.

Aom, from the The Art clinic said: 'At our clinic it only costs 15,900 baht with the promotional discount. You can return to eating like normal around five to six days after the surgery.

'For this lips surgery, you don't need to stay overnight. You can go back home right after the procedure.'

The procedure costs as low as 7,439 baht (184 GBP) and up to 35,900 baht (888 GBP) . However, risks include the lips getting stuck together, dry mouth and swollen salivary glands.

Speaking in the video, Dr Pollasak Worakrai from the Dr.Apple Clinic in Bangkok, confirmed that many women have the surgery to give them a more youthful appearance.

He said: 'The general facial structure in Thailand is that some people have round faces while some have square faces. When compared to the whole body, our faces are large.

'Therefore, people want to make their faces thinner with a balanced proportion between the upper and lower lips.

'All Thai children tend to have a small upside-down cup on their upper lip. This shrinks when they grow older.

'The Cupid's bow surgery makes our faces more youthful.'





SUBTITLES CAPTIONS TRANSLATION

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The Cupid's bow surgery is an operation to make lips beautiful

The surgery is to make thick lips thinner and give them a more beautiful shape

The first step is assessing patients including their lips and teeth conditions

After that, the doctor will design how their lips will look and show the designs to the patient

In the surgery room, we will administer two anesthetics, similar to dentistry. They will feel almost nothing

Then, we will draw and perform the surgery which takes around 15-20 minutes

After the surgery, the doctor will stitch the wound

There are four different reasons for getting lip surgery

Firstly, it could be to make the lip thinner and more beautiful

Second, to fix the lip after it was wounded in an accident

Thirdly, inserting a foreign substance. For example, lip injections became a trend in Thailand in 2022

Fourthly, Cupid's bow surgery, which has now become popular in Thailand

The general facial structure in Thailand is that some people have round faces while some have square faces. When compared to the whole body, our faces are large

Therefore, people want to make their faces thinner with a balanced proportion between the upper and lower lips.

All Thai children tend to have a small upside-down cup on their upper lip. This shrinks when they grow older

The Cupdi's bow surgery makes our faces more youthful

The cost depends on several factors including complexity. The range for Thai people starts from around 8,000 Baht to more than 100,000 Baht

Every surgery has a risk. The most common risk is adhesion

There are several reasons including the surgeon's technique and post-surgery care. If it is done right, the risks are only three to five per cent

Dry-mouth can also develop, but it also depends on the surgeon's technique

A swollen salivary grand may also develop in approximately one out of 30 cases but it can be treated easily

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