Nip And Tuck
Someone I know recently had cosmetic surgery, on her upper eyelids of all places, and it got me thinking if cosmetic surgery is popular in Bangkok.
Back in Sydney I knew a woman who had a breast enlargement whom I didn’t have the heart to tell that I couldn’t tell the difference and that was my only exposure to cosmetic surgery until arriving in bangkok. In Bangkok, there is a huge trade for sex changes and I know a number of people who have also had lasik surgery performed.
Are Bangkokians more eager to go under the knife, or laser, than others?
Lasik is not (entirely) for cosmetic! I don’t know that many people that had gone under the knife to change their look, and I still don’t think it is that common among normal folks. Though the actors & singers have been doing it for ages, of course.
Lasik isn’t cosmetic surgery anymore than having a heart bypass is!
What I find funny out here is the belief that pale-is-better. Go to any chemist and look at the skin products. Everything has “whitening” content. What? Bleach? You go to the west, everyone wants a tan, you go to the east, everyone wants to be white. Sigh.
Mind you, IMHO, I agree, though not to the point where I’d buy a product based solely on how light it can make me!
Sorry, I was using the idea that, since lasik mostly isn’t used for health reasons, it was a cosmetic procedure (I’m not saying that I’m right!).
The crazy part about the obsession with skin whitening products here is the advertising and the fact that they have managed to convince an entire continent that a product that does NOTHING to whiten your skin, does – and at the same time makes you more beautiful!
Just last night, I saw a deodorant commercial touting how using it will attract women! I thought deodarant was to stop people running because of ones body odour, not to attract people?? Then there was another one trying to say that drinking a certain beer will help you pick up women! Is anyone believing this??
an entire continent? Asia stretches from Japan to Saudi Arabia.
and ridiculous marketing for deodarant and beer exists everywhere. Have you seen the Lynx and Hahn advertisements on tv in your home country?
I don’t remember any that were like that (although we have of fair share of things that are stupid), sorry. Perhaps they’ve changed since I was there.
These comments about lasik are idiot, sorry. As someone with bad eyesight I choose to wear contacts because I do not like wearing glasses. That is cosmetic. I would love lasik, but it is not a cosmetic choice, because noone would ever know the difference except me! Is eyesight health? Thats the question, I guess. It’s not health in the way that treating cancer is, sure, but if it improves standards of living then yes, I think it is health.
As to deoderant adverts, they have been associated with such things as attracting the opposite sex for ever. I remember in the 70’s in England, the weedy men use Lynx and then get all the girls.
I forgot to say: I think that one important point is being missed here…
Since when did advertising ever tell you the whole truth? Do skin lightening products contain whitening factors that their western counterparts do not? Yes, they do. Will they turn a dark brown skinned girl from Issarn into a sleek svelt Chinese-Thai rich girl from Bangkok? Christ no. But that’s humans: they live in hope of the nearly-impossible and advertising mostly preys on that.
advertising is truth well told.
This reminds me of Bangkok Chemist Shopping List, by Futon. To Listen >>http://music.kapook.com/newmusicstation/play.php?id=3442