Just a decade ago, a celebrity openly talking about his or her plastic surgery was a rare thing. In recent years, however, it’s become not so uncommon for stars to “bravely” confess their experience under the knife.

Popular female singers such as Goo Ha-ra of K-pop girl group KARA and Baek Ji-young have talked about their surgeries on TV. Hwang Kwang-hee of boyband ZE:A has even embraced the gimmick of being a “seonghyeong-dol” ― (a combination of the Korean words for plastic surgery and idol), making jokes about his numerous surgeries.

With the media no longer making a fuss about plastic surgery, more teenagers are starting to develop positive sentiments toward cosmetic surgeries and, unsurprisingly, many are tempted to go under the knife themselves.

“I think it’s better (for celebrities) to honestly admit that they had plastic surgeries, rather than to lie,” said a 17-year-old high school student. She said that plastic surgery is for “satisfaction with oneself” and should not be frowned upon.

“We’re too young to actually do it, but we all talk about plastic surgery and looks. A lot of my classmates even put on makeup during class,” said a 14-year-old middle school student surnamed Lee. “One of my friends said she will force her parents to allow her to get plastic surgery this winter,” she said.

Kim Dong-ha of BEFOR Plastic Surgical Clinic said that celebrities having a plastic surgery procedure is one of the key motivations that encourages minors to go in for surgery.

“Students look at (celebrities after they’ve had) surgery and think, ‘Wow, they’ve become pretty.’ This gives them the urge to undergo surgery too,” he said.

The threshold for the age at which teenagers experience plastic surgery seems to have lowered significantly in the past few years.

Local plastic surgery clinic ID Hospital said that from January 2011 to May 2013, the proportion of teenagers among the total number of patients grew from 6.6 percent to 10.9 percent. And it is not always kids who tug the hands of their parents, either.

“Some parents try to persuade their children to have plastic surgery, but the kids refuse it,” Kim said. He said not many parents object to their children getting plastic surgery, as long as it is not too risky or expensive.

Another surgeon, Kim Jee-wook of Spropose Plastic Surgery, said those parents are looking to boost their children’s confidence. “From the parents’ perspective, a child’s complex can affect school grades and relationships with classmates. So if it (plastic surgery) helps with children’s morale, parents can react positively toward it,” he said. Kim added that about 20 percent of people who visit his hospital for surgical consultations are minors.

Experts say that Korean society’s emphasis on appearances is driving teens to take steps to look like their idols.

“With the development of media and social network services, more people are focused on superficial aspects ― such as appearances ― than actual human relationships,” said Kim Tae-hoon, a psychiatrist at Sarang Samtue Mental Psychiatric Clinic.

Such emphasis on looks is stronger in cyberspace. Many of the profile photos on social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook are digitally altered and modified to highlight the users’ positive features.

Kim said that although many of his young patients have complained about problems caused by their looks, he is opposed to the idea that plastic surgery can help students with low self-esteem.

“Many students who have a complex about their looks are not really that ugly. In those cases, I found that the students or their parents are immature,” he said. Kim added that those parents tend to subliminally think that women “cannot survive unless they are pretty.”

Chun Sang-chin, professor of sociology at Sogang University, attributed the mounting interest in one’s looks to intensified competition within the society. He said the elements of competition are now seen in relationships between friends and even spouses, which have traditionally belonged in the realm of intimacy.

Chun’s interpretation is in line with the typical Korean concept that “looks can give you a competitive edge.” But why does such competition start so early?

“People are seeking to become competent as early as possible. The teenage years used to be a ‘moratorium’ period (for such social competition), but not anymore,” he said.

As more teenagers rush to alter their looks, even plastic surgeons are voicing their concerns about the potential dangers of going under the knife too young.

“For (plastic surgery procedures on) your eyes, you have to be at least in your second or third year in middle school. And for nose jobs, high school at least,” said Kim Jee-wook of Spropose Plastic Surgery, adding that he would not recommend that youngsters surgically alter their skeletal structure.

He said the best age to go for surgery would be after the Korean age of 20 ― or 19, as age is determined in the West.

In light of underage plastic surgery becoming a social issue, Saenuri lawmaker Lee Jae-young in January proposed a bill that would ban plastic surgery for those under the age of 19.

The still-pending bill touched off controversy about whether the state has a say in a person’s decision to alter his or her looks. Opponents of the bill say that if the country bans plastic surgery and does not address the problem of people placing too much emphasis on appearance, the law is only going to instigate illegal practices.

Plastic surgeons concur that legislation is not an ideal way to deal with the issue of underage plastic surgery.

Rather, students and their parents must take precautions and ask themselves: do I really need this surgery? After all, even though plastic surgeons can change a person’s face, make them thinner, or even make them look younger, they are not miracle workers.

“Plastic surgery is not magic. People must not expect for it to change them completely,” said Kim Dong-ha of BEFOR Plastic Surgical Clinic.

By Yoon Min-sik (minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)