The beautiful people

More men and youths are going for aesthetic procedures, with the current trend to look like today’s K-pop stars. As the beauty industry is still coping with the pandemic, they also want more action against unregistered centres performing risky procedures.

DESPITE the circumstances, Malaysians still want to look good. And for some, it is through aesthetic procedures and plastic surgery. But like most businesses, the beauty industry in Malaysia has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. Many recorded zero revenue during the movement control order (MCO) earlier this year, says the Malaysian Society of Aesthetic Medicine (MSAM).

Things picked up from June onwards, with most aesthetic clinics and centres having near normal business until September.

“It slowed down again due to the conditional MCO but there’s still a steady stream of clients, ” MSAM president Dr Chin Shih Choon tells Sunday Star.Currently, aesthetic centres and clinics are able to continue operating with strict standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place. The top trend now is to go for the Korean celebrity or K-pop star look – with many clients requesting to have cute, delicate features and smooth, flawless skin.

For plastic surgery, the most popular types are the creation of double eyelids and nose surgery, according to industry players.

Women still make up most of the clients, or about 70% to 80%, but there’s been growing demand from men and younger Malaysians too. Men are now 20% of the total clientele compared to about 10% five years ago, says Dr Chin.

“Common procedures sought after by men are body contouring, muscle sculpting, hair transplants, skin tightening and anti-aging, ” he adds.

Overall, he says the industry in Malaysia has grown between 5% to 20% over the past five years, particularly in the non-surgical segment.

For youths in their teens and 20s, Dr Chin says most go after acne and skin treatments.

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“Some also go for face augmentation for the nose, cheeks, chin and lips. Others go for body treatments. For these youths, the trends set by Hollywood stars, K-pop idols and social media are big influences on their choices, ” he says.

Nevertheless, women still outnumber men, with most aged between 30 and 50, Dr Chin estimates. For non-surgical procedures, he says the top five treatments are dermal fillers for anti-aging, cosmetic lasers to treat pigmentation, scars and hair removal.

This is followed by injecting botulinum toxin or Botox to treat wrinkles and excessive sweating, platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections for skin rejuvenation and non-invasive fat reduction treatments.

As for invasive procedures, the most popular is eyelid surgery – either to create double eyelids or to remove eyebags, says Malaysian Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery president Dr Faizal Ali.

Other common types of plastic surgeries are nose augmentation with implants, liposuction, breast augmentation with implants and abdominoplasty or tummy tuck.

“We get quite a number of requests on Korean noses and eyes. This might be due to influence from the Korean drama and K-pop phenomena. Coincidentally, South Korea is well known for its cosmetic surgery industry, ” Dr Faizal highlights.

Although most clients are females in their 20s to 40s, he concurs there are men who also seek such procedures.

“They are still very much less than women. But they tend to ask for liposuction of their abdomen and chest, as well as eyelid surgery for drooping eyes. More men are also asking for Botox injections, fillers and laser treatments, ” Dr Faizal adds.

There’s also a constant demand to counter the effects of aging. Malaysians aged 35 and above continue to make up a big portion of patients in the aesthetic industry, says MSAM past president Dr Hew Yin Keat.

“This age group is also at a stage in life where they are more able to afford aesthetic procedures, ” he says.

Youths tend to go for what they perceive as minor enhancements like Botox, fillers for nose, lip or chin enhancement, lasers, chemical or mechanical peels for acne, PRP and double eyelid surgery. At some point in time, some wanted to have (American socialite) Kylie Jenner’s plump lips, ” he says.

Dr Hew observes that the healthy growth of men doing aesthetic procedures seemed to be initially driven by the rise of metrosexual men, or modern, urbane males who are fastidious of their looks.

“However, it could be due to gym services that have now been infused with a medical input like hair restoration procedures, body sculpting and body toning – areas that men find more interesting or relevant to their concerns, ” he says.

As a result, there are also clinics that offer services which are more dedicated to men, Dr Hew adds.

Men, in the middle or high income bracket, also more frequently accompany their partners or spouses to aesthetic consultations and hence, receive more information about aesthetic procedures that might interest them.

“This is topped off with the confidence-boosting effects of aesthetic procedures done well - no matter the gender, ” he says.

Association of International Certified Aestheticians founder and president Prof Dr Ng Wee Kiong says men have an increasingly sophisticated knowledge of skincare, and this has driven them to seek out male beauty products and treatments.

“Men commonly go for laser treatments to get flawless skin, ” he says.

Noting that the beauty industry is changing rapidly in response to Covid-19, Dr Ng says many professionals are facing unprecedented challenges to keep their businesses running.

“Salons and spas are closing across the nation.

“The biggest hit will come to the small businesses, ” he adds.

But regardless of the pandemic, Dr Ng says the association urges all industry players to uphold a high standard of quality and safety, such as by seeking the necessary accreditations.

“This is important towards building trust with consumers, ” he says.