SEOUL (Reuters) – When Ryu Han-na, a 20-year-old university student, underwent cosmetic surgery on his nose in mid-December, he had a simple reason: it may be his last chance to do this in secret before people start taking off their masks this year as vaccines are distributed.
Ryu, who attended his online courses throughout 2020, said the ability to return home and wear a mask in public without attracting attention are decisive factors.
“I always wanted to do a job on my nose … I thought it would be best to get it now, before people start taking off their masks when vaccines become available in 2021,” she said. while preparing for the 4.4 million winnings ($ 4,013) procedure.
“There will be bruises and swelling after surgery, but since we will all be wearing masks, I think that should help,” she added.
This attitude fuels the demand for such operations in South Korea, which has already experienced a takeover in cosmetic surgery in 2020.
The country was a world capital of cosmetic surgery even in non-pandemic times. The industry is estimated to be worth about $ 10.7 billion in 2020, up 9.2 percent from a year earlier, and is expected to fluctuate around $ 11.8 billion this year, according to Gangnam Unni, the largest online cosmetic surgery platform in the country.
Cosmetic surgeons say patients are interested in all parts of the face: those that can be easily hidden under masks, such as the nose and lips, and those that do not cover the face, which some consider the criteria of beauty in the era of coronavirus.
“Both surgical and non-surgical questions about the eyes, eyebrows, bridge of the nose and forehead – the only visible parts – have certainly grown,” said Park Cheol-woo, a surgeon at the WooAhIn Plastic Surgery Clinic who operated on Ryu.
Surgeon Shin Sang-ho, who operates the Krismas Plastic Surgery Clinic in central Gangnam District, said many people have spent their emergency incentive payments from the government to hospitals and clinics, boosting revenue in the third and fourth quarters of the year. 2020.
“I feel it is an expense of revenge. I felt that the clients expressed their repressed emotions (from the coronavirus) through cosmetic procedures “, said Shin.
Government data showed that of 14.2 trillion won ($ 12.95 billion) in government cash payments, 10.6% was used in hospitals and pharmacies, the third largest segment by classification behind supermarkets and restaurants, although details of the types of hospitals were not disclosed.
Gangnam Unni data showed that its users increased by 63% from a year earlier to about 2.6 million last year. They requested 1 million counseling sessions, double the amount a year earlier.
The pandemic has made it more difficult to promote services to foreign customers, so in the last year it has adopted a more local and regional focus.
But a third wave of coronavirus at home remains a concern, as the country reports record daily cases.
“We’ve seen a growing number of cancellations in recent consultation appointments as people are more reluctant to go out … especially suburban customers have postponed most of their operations until 2021,” Park said.