Gongchan of B1A4 has been on the request list for a while, and apparently, the reason his face raises suspicion is because of his uneven eyelids. To me, if anything, this seems like evidence of no plastic surgery. Surely if you were going to pay good money to “fix” your face, you would get them to make your eyes look even. Right? So this, coupled with the fact that his uneven eyelids were also a feature in childhood photos, makes me believe that Gongchan is plastic surgery-free. His nose also looks the same as in his pre-debut photos.

Before and after pics

Compared to many groups, INFINITE seem to be relatively free of plastic surgery. Today we look at the group’s visual, L (Myungsoo), who raises suspicion purely on account of being beautiful. To be fair, his pre-debut pics show that he has always been extremely good-looking. The only thing I wonder about are his eyes.

When L was younger, he had uneven eyelids which were quite pronounced in some photos. These days his eyes look even in most pics, suggesting that he may have had some corrective surgery to fix the issue. When his eyes are shut you can see a clear line on his eyelids (see last pic), which is one of the main giveaways of double eyelid surgery.

Myungsoo himself has apparently denied any plastic surgery.

Before and after pics

We’ve been seeing a lot of natural beauties on this site recently, so get ready because here comes another! Yes, Doojoon of BEAST appears to be plastic surgery-free. Honestly, it’s kind of boring when people look the same as their pre-debut pics, it gives us nothing to talk about. But for your entertainment, check out Doojoon’s pre-debut JYP audition. Pre-debut videos are always pretty interesting!

Before and after pics

I guess it’ll be another boring post today as we cover another natural beauty, Super Junior’s Siwon. There’s quite a bit of plastic surgery within Super Junior, so the fact that their visual has managed to escape it is quite a feat. Siwon is truly an exceptionally good-looking guy, and he has always, ALWAYS been this way. Like, I would resent the guy for his beauty if he wasn’t so… beautiful. Damn you, Choi Siwon!

Before and after pics

Well, I had to see a lot more of Ailee than I wanted while I was browsing her pre-debut pics (those who know about her pic scandal will know what I am talking about).

The first thing you’ll notice when comparing Ailee’s pre-debut and recent photos is that she looks whiter. At least, that’s the first thing I noticed. Skin-whitening is nothing new in Korea and it doesn’t count as surgery, so we’ll move on. As far as facial features go, her nose and chin look different. She previously had a small nose with a flat tip and now she has a much more prominent tip. This kind of thing can be achieved with plastic surgery or with fillers. Her pointier chin indicates that she had a chin implant, or this could possibly be attributed to fillers as well. Whether fillers or surgery, she’s definitely undergone a few cosmetic procedures to enhance her looks.

She also seems to have a bad aegyo sal habit (filler or fat injection to create “cute” under-eye bags), as seen most prominently in pic 4.

Double eyelid surgery is one of the most common procedures that KPOP idols undergo, second only to rhinoplasty. The procedure is sometimes known as “blepharoplasty”, “Asian crease surgery” or “Asian eyelid surgery”. It is often combined with other surgeries to widen the eyes (e.g. incision at inner corner of eyes), but for the sake of this explanation, we will cover double eyelid surgery only.

What does a double eyelid even look like?

A double eyelid is basically an eyelid with the crease showing. It is common for Caucasians to have double eyelids but less common for Asians. Approximately half of all Asians have what is referred to as monolids or single fold eyelids, which is a heavily lidded eye without a visible crease. The other half have double eyelids, but these double eyelids are slightly different in appearance than their Caucasian counterparts. Contrary to popular belief, most Asians who undergo double eyelid surgery are seeking Asian double eyelids, and are not desperately trying to look western.

Caucasian double eyelids on Angelina Jolie

Asian monolids

Asian double eyelids

What surgical methods can achieve a double eyelid?

Here’s where I had to do a lot of research and some of it was quite disgusting (surgery pictures, ew).

There are three methods to achieve permanent double eyelids, the buried sutures method, full incision or partial incision. In the first method, small sutures are knotted above the eyes to create the folds. The benefit of this method is that it can be reversed.

The most common method in South Korea to achieve double eyelids is the full incision method. Among the three methods, it is supposed to create the most satisfying double eyelids in the long-term, although it takes a longer time to look natural. In this method, an incision is made in the upper eyelid, fat and tissue is removed, and the incision is then stitched up. The line of the sutures becomes the crease in the new double eyelid.

The partial incision method is an alternative to the buried sutures and full incision methods, and has a shorter recovery time than the full incision method. The double eyelid lines extend up to the last third of the eyes, as opposed to the full incision method where the lines go beyond the last third of the eyes.

There are also a few non-surgical methods to achieve double eyelids, namely eyelid tape or glue. You can purchase these online and there are plenty of tutorials around to help you figure out how to use them. If you’re interested in the non-surgical methods, Google is your friend.

Before and after examples

Here are some before and after pics of double eyelid surgery, courtesy of ID Hospital.

For before and after examples of idols with double eyelid surgery, check out our eye work category!

Further reading

Still curious? Here are some links with more information. Please note that this symbol (!) means that there are some possibly icky pictures to be seen at the link. Even links without the symbol might have some triggering images, so just be aware. I mean, we are discussing SURGERY here. It’s all body horror to me.

• Double eyelid surgery by Seoul Touch Up (!)
• Asian eyelid surgery by Enhance Medical Center
• Asian Eyelid Surgery Center FAQ
• Step by step operation by Dr Meronk (!!!)

Please note that the information in this article is NOT meant as medical advice. If you are interested in this topic, do your own research, or better yet, see a specialized medical professional.

Yonghwa has been on our list for a long time, and I have been putting him off quite simply because I didn’t know that much about CNBLUE (I like to at least have some idea of what I’m talking about, believe it or not). But now that I’ve watched a few videos and read a few blogs, we’re ready to start!

As usual, we look at the nose and eyes first. You can see that in Yonghwa’s pre-debut pics, his nose looks slightly different. I don’t know if it looks different enough to be certain of a nose job, but it is very likely that he had his nose bridge shaved a little bit and some work done on the tip because it was previously rounder and flatter. In his recent pics, his nose looks a lot straighter and slightly narrower, although he was heavily made up in most pics I could find. As for his eyes, they look pretty much the same and I don’t believe he has had any surgery in that area.

He doesn’t look too unnatural, so any plastic surgery he may have had turned out really well. He should give his surgeon’s number to SM Entertainment.

Classic idol Yunho of TVXQ has the tendency to look somewhat uncanny, so it’s no surprise that he would end up on our request list. However, I don’t believe he’s had any plastic surgery.

There are a few reasons why his face might look a bit “off”, and none of these reasons can be attributed to going under the knife. First of all, he’s got quite a manly face with a strong jaw, which makes him look slightly more unnatural when wearing make up than your average flower boy. He also had work done on his teeth some time ago, and now sports some exceptionally straight, white veneers. I think veneers can make a person look very different and sometimes even strange. He probably also uses botox which can make the skin look a bit tight (see last pic).

As far as his features go, nothing else seems to have changed. Same nose, eyes, chin as always!

We’ve covered a lot of men lately, so I thought it was time to pick a woman from our request list: Rainbow leader, Jaekyung!

Jaekyung herself has denied undergoing any plastic surgery. In fact, she sued a plastic surgery clinic for using her before and after pictures in promotional material. Although she won the case, I still believe she has had work done (just not at that particular clinic).

Here you can see the double eyelid surgery stitch line

It looks like she’s had the KPOP Combo (nose and eyes), as she previously had smaller eyes and a flatter, slightly wider nose. I’m quite sure she had double eyelid surgery (see photo to the left, larger pic available here), but she may also have combined this with eye corner cutting for the ultimate wide-eyed look. I was suspicious of her chin/jaw area too, but she seems to still be quite a strong-jawed girl although she hides this well in her selcas!

Speculation is rife online about Jun. K and his plastic surgery, which is probably why he was requested here. Most people assume he has had a nose job and possibly a jaw shave. It’s worth noting that Jun. K wears A LOT of make up and does contouring, especially on his nose. This makes his face look even more unnatural and “fake” than it would otherwise.

I agree he at least had rhinoplasty because his nose looks quite different from his pre-debut days, and comparatively  unnatural. In general, his face looks a bit off and nose jobs can often be the main culprit of that (your nose is in the middle of your face, if you mess with it it affects your facial proportions).

As far as the jaw shaving goes, I think it’s very likely that he did something in that area. He still has a large chin but his jaw from the side looks very unnatural, like attempted v-line gone wrong. I also believe he may have had his eyes touched up, perhaps not double eyelid surgery but corner cutting to make them appear larger.

Lastly, Jun. K had some work done on his teeth/gums. He used to have a gummy smile but now sports perfectly straight veneers.

Apink’s visual Naeun, like most visuals, has had plastic surgery. In her younger years she had a flatter, wider nose, which she had slimmed down before debuting. The little ski-slope nose that all idols seem to love does not occur in nature, so spotting one equals rhinoplasty more often than not. What’s interesting about Naeun’s nose is that around the that time she was on “We Got Married” with Taemin of SHINee, her nose was suddenly longer in the tip. I would attribute this to fillers rather than another nose job. It looks like the fillers have worn off since.

Naeun has also had double eyelid surgery, which she probably got at the same time as her first nose job.

Aegyo sal is a term used in Korea to refer to the little fatty deposits under your eyes. The procedure to create them is sometimes called “Korean love band surgery” or “youthlites”.

What exactly does aegyo sal look like?

Contrary to popular belief, aegyo sal does not refer to those bags under our eyes that we all get from aging. Aegyo sal sits right under the lower eyelid, and naturally occurs in children. It’s existence in young people is the reason some people believe it can make you look more youthful and innocent.

SNSD’s Yoona (right) is an example of an idol with aegyo sal.

What are the methods to achieve aegyo sal?

If you do not have naturally-occurring aegyo sal (i.e. most people over 20), you can have these created artificially. The only permanent way to achieve them is via a surgical procedure where a 0.5 cm flat strip of AlloDerm (acellular dermal matrix) or Gortex is inserted under the skin surface through two small incisions, leaving behind tiny scars. This method heals quickly and sutures can be removed after 3-4 days.

Aegyo sal can also be achieved with fillers for those who do not want to go under the knife. This method is temporary and lasts around 6 months. If you’re curious as to whether your favorite idol has taken the surgical or non-surgical route, keep an eye on their aegyo sal and see if it is sometimes more or less pronounced. If the size of their under-eye bands fluctuates, it’s likely they’ve gone for the filler option.

Lastly, there are make-up tricks to help you get the youthlites look without even needing to see a doctor. If you’re interested in this option, Google is your friend.

Before and after examples

Before and After pics courtesy of ITEM Plastic Surgery in Gangnam, Seoul.

Feedback from a plastic surgeon

Honestly, this looks completely silly and not only a waste of money but not worth the risk. I always believe that taking unnecessary risk is ill advised. This surgery is a clear example of this kind of foolishness. Sorry for the strong words but this just looks silly and potentially dangerous that close to the eye.

– Dr. Lam on Korean eye band surgery

Further reading

Still curious? Here are some links with more information.

• Youthlites creation surgery by WiSH Clinic
• Aegyo sal by Dr. Seiw

Please note that the information in this article is NOT meant as medical advice. If you are interested in this topic, do your own research, or better yet, see a specialized medical professional.

Today we cover another natural beauty, B.A.P’s Yongguk. It’s always nice write about someone without plastic surgery, not because it’s interesting content-wise (it isn’t, there’s almost nothing to say), but because it’s encouraging to see a person in the public eye who hasn’t succumbed to the pressures of the Korean entertainment industry.

Below we have a couple of pre-debut and recent pics where you can see no major change in his facial features. Same eyes, same nose!

Before and after pics

As a child actor, Lee Hongki of FTISLAND has been in the public eye for a long time, so it was quite easy to find photos of him in his younger years. He always had quite a strong eyelid crease, so I don’t believe his big, doe-eyes are the result of double eyelid surgery. He does appear to have had a nose job at some point, as his nose is a bit narrower and smaller than previously. His nose bridge is also slightly more prominent.

It’s worth noting that, for an adult male, he has quite strong but wildly fluctuating aegyo sal. This would suggest that he gets fillers once in a while to keep them looking plump.

Before and after pics

As the “visual” member of SHINee, it’s clear that Minho is naturally very handsome, but visuals don’t usually escape the surgeon’s helping hand, because nothing is ever good enough in KPOP – everything can be improved! Which brings us to the saga of Minho’s lovely nose.

In his pre-debut years, Minho had a a flat nose with quite a wide bridge with a bump on it. It’s quite likely that he had a slight nose job some time around his debut, mostly concentrating on his bridge. Since then, his nose has fluctuated a lot, being quite pointy at times (e.g. in 2009) and flat at others. This suggests that he uses fillers to shape his nose.

I didn’t peg him as having double eyelid surgery, as his eyes have always been wide, but the below gif alone casts some doubt. Usually, when you shut your eyes the eyelid creases disappear. Minho’s are still quite prominent, which does make me wonder if he did indeed get the eyelid surgery after all.

Before and after pics

I know we’ll get a lot of hate for this one since people love to bang on about what a natural beauty SNSD’s Seohyun is and now she must have an allergic reaction to get all bloaty-faced like that, so lets fight it out here.

There are lots of pre-debut videos and photos around to show that Seohyun always had a cute, round face and a lot of aegyo sal. Every once in a while her upper eyelid creases seem very pronounced, but I’ve been told she uses eyelid tape, which makes it hard to know if she ever underwent double eyelid surgery or not. What I can tell you is that she has aegyo sal to the point of looking inhuman (see pics), which suggests she gets filler. I don’t think she had the surgery because her aegyo sal fluctuates.

I can tell you one thing for certain though, Seohyun has had a nose job. Her nose still looks nice and not wholly unnatural, but it is definitely the smaller, “cuter” version of what she had before. Check out the pre-debut video above and the after photos below to see the way the tip of her nose has changed.

When it comes to her well-known puffy face, it might be a reaction to botox, it could be dermal filler, fat grafting, or it might just be that she was always very chubby-cheeked, and her new, smaller nose has exaggerated this feature.

Before and after pics

We’ve had loads of requests for BTS, especially J-Hope, so today we check out his suspicious face. I always suspected him of having some work done to his nose just because it was disproportionately small for his face, but it’s really hard to say if he had a proper nose job or whether he just gets fillers to change the shape of the tip. If you notice in some of his pre-debut pics, he seems to have a flat-tipped nose, while in other and newer pics he has a definite pointed tip. I think he probably went all the way and got a nose job, quite early by the looks of it.

I also think he may have had double eyelid surgery because of his incredibly deep eyelid creases, but it’s possible that these are natural. Without more pre-debut comparison pics it’s difficult to be sure. As for the nose work, I would bet on it!

Before and after pics

I’ve always said that I didn’t think anyone in Girls’ Generation escaped the surgeon’s knife, and I stand by that statement. With that as the disclaimer, it’s no surprise to find out that SNSD’s Sooyoung has undergone plastic surgery.

The most obvious thing she’s had done is her nose. It’s possible that she’s had more than one nose job, because even her pre-debut nose sometimes looks unnaturally little on her face. Even if that were her original nose, she’s definitely had something done since then. Note the wider, flared nostrils in the before pics compared to the after pics.

Sooyoung has also had double eyelid surgery. If you look at the after pictures, two of them show the surgically-created crease.

Aside from these two definite procedures, it’s possible that she also had her jaw shaved slightly to make it less square. This one is up for debate, but the KPOP Combo is 100% stamped and approved!

Before and after pics

[Updated: October 16, 2014] Well, I’m back to disagree with myself after seeing a particularly interesting picture of Hyuk in the early days of VIXX. He has clearly had work done on his nose to give himself an upturned tip. To his credit, he didn’t go with an exceptionally tiny nose that would look ridiculous on his face. I also stand by my previous claim that he has had some type of eye surgery.

* * * * *

[April 20, 2014] Today we look at another reader request: VIXX’s maknae, Hyuk. To me, he looks pretty much the same as he always has. His nose hasn’t changed and he still has monolids. If he’s had any plastic surgery, then perhaps it was epicanthoplasty/lateral canthoplasty (where they cut the corners of the eyes to make them wider). That’s the only change that I noticed from his pre-debut days until now.

Before and after pics

I came into this post thinking it very likely that SISTAR’s Bora had plastic surgery. After all, she’s a beautiful girl in a girl group, it’s sadly almost a given. Bora herself said in 2012 that she had not had any plastic surgery, and although she was interested in it, she was advised against it. Here at KPS we never believe anything anybody says, so of course we chose to dig a little deeper. However, after looking at her pre-debut pics and comparing them with what she looks like now, I’m actually surprised that she appears to be a natural beauty after all.

At first, I was suspicious about her prominent eyelid crease, although it is not the standard double eyelid crease that results from surgery (the operation normally starts the crease right at the inner corner of the eye). Her childhood photos show that she always had this prominent line, and photos of her winking show the crease disappearing like a natural eyelid rather than one that was surgically created. Her nose is also not the standard ski-slope nose that results from rhinoplasty, so it’s likely that this is a natural feature as well.

The only thing Bora seems to have changed about appearance is her teeth. Her perfect, straight smile was probably achieved with the help of veneers.

Bonus: Here’s a cute pre-debut video of Bora dancing to 4Minute.

Before and after pics