VietNamNet Bridge – More Vietnamese teenagers are choosing to get cosmetic surgery to imitate the "hot boy" and "hot girl" look they see in magazines and movies.

Thanh Thuy, 17 years old, in Hanoi tried to persuade her parents to give her money for a nose job. She said that her friends teased her for her flat nose, which made her so depressed that she wanted to commit suicide. After months of this type of persuasion, her parents finally gave in. She came back from summer vacation with a higher nose and a more prominent chin.

Angela Minh Chau looks like the Chinese actress Fan Bing Bing after the comestic surgery

Thuy is far from alone. Teen internet forums in Vietnam are abuzz with talk of plastic surgery, particularly among girls. The most popular procedures being raising of the nose and eyelids, as well as lip tattooing.

By the end of September last year, Angela Minh Chau had attracted attention from young people after having cosmetic surgery which made her look like the Chinese actress Fan Bing Bing. This helped popularise cosmetic surgery among Vietnamese youth.

Tang Ngoc Van, nicknamed Van Tokyoa, has also shocked the public after posting two sets of before and after photos of her cosmetic surgery. She said that she spent VND800 million (USD38,000) for the surgery.  

Nguyen Phuc Vinh Cuong is fluent in English, Chinese and French and has a wide knowledge of social issues, but failed to be recruited as a pilot due to his appearance. He decided to spend USD10,000 for ten procedures.

Nguyen Phuc Vinh Cuong before and after the comestic sugery

Some beauty-care products even claim the ability to change the shape of the nose and jaw without surgery. These products are often sold for around VND50,000.

Potential risks

One internet poster, with the handle vit_nhoi_bong, said that after having her nose raised, she felt more confident, however a short time after the surgery she suffered from pain in her eyes. The area around her eyes became bruised after the VND10 million (USD476) procedure.  

According to some orthopedic surgery experts, because the facial structure of adolescents is still developing, plastic surgery at that age may not be a good idea. They say that teens should consult a doctor before deciding to have any cosmetic surgery.

DTriNews/TTTD