Kiwi Radha Engling tries the latest wrinkle-busting craze – K-beauty, in the heart of South Korea, in an attempt to look five years younger in just a couple of hours.
Ican’t be late. I’m making my way through the underground maze that is Seoul’s subway system, and the clock is ticking. I’ve signed up to meet a TV presenter, who is the equivalent of a Zen-master in Korean beauty – or as it’s universally known: K-beauty.
She’s promised that at the end of our appointment, I’ll look at least five years younger.
The beauty industry in Korea, and the hype that surrounds it, is mind-blowing, and it’s hugely popular with Kiwis.
Accommodation juggernaut Airbnb has branched out into tours, known as Airbnb Experiences, and has dozens of locals signed up, happy to share their K-beauty secrets. These tours are so popular with New Zealand and Australian travellers, it’s Airbnb’s No 1 market.
Before I find out if I can wipe five years off my age, let’s put on a figurative face mask and delve deep into Korea’s beauty-obsessed world. We’ll cover everything from snail secretion facials to having 120 needles poked in my face.
I’ll even be told I need to do something about my ‘‘old man’s nose’’. each year, the highest rate in the world, per capita.
The most common procedure is double eyelid surgery. It’s so standard, some compare it to getting a haircut.
Essentially, it’s putting an additional fold in the upper eyelid to make the eyes appear larger – it is often gifted as a graduation present.
Other popular procedures include jaw reduction, to give a more v-shaped face, nose reconstruction and breast implants.
To get my head around this, I visited the View Plastic Surgery clinic, regarded as one of the best in the city. It’s a state-of-the-art hospital that even has a rotating display of breast implants next to the reception.
I signed up for a free consultation, as many tourists do. It’s a slick operation: an English interpreter greets you at reception and whisks you to a plush waiting area.
You’re then taken to a photography room, where all angles of your face are captured. After that, you’ll sit down with an appearance surgeon to go over the results – in my case Dr Yun Chang Woon.
He started with the bad news: sun damage, lower eye wrinkles, and a nose that resembles ‘‘an aged man’’. But Woon was also very kind, saying that my facial balance was good, and his biggest