The Influence Of Global Fashion On Beauty Standards In Asia

The facial structures and appearance of different races or ethnicities are distinct due to genetic heritance and their people consist of each view on the standard of beauty respectively. Therefore, dissimilar cosmetics and makeup technique is required for different races or ethnicities to achieve their desire look. This is crucial for people who have different skin colour, especially between western and Asian, as a skin colour study done on French and American Caucasian, African-American, Hispanic American, and Japanese discussed that, the diversity of skin colour defines a continuous colour space, where their colour spectra is overlapped. Except for the Japanese, where their skin colour does not fall into the same lightness scale, but should be classified into pink-ocher-beige colour scale.

According to Yan and Bissell (2014) study on how globally published fashion and beauty magazines influenced the ideal beauty in 11 countries found that, the standard of beauty is being defined differently between magazines, especially the Asian magazines, which kept a relative independence from the western standards, is believed to be due to the obvious different in structures and appearance, eastern culture and maturity in fashion and beauty markets that contributes in resisting the westernizing trend. The Asian population is composed of various race, including Chinese, Indian, Middle Eastern, Southeast Asian and others. However, the term ‘Asian eyelid’, which also known as Mongoloid eye and Oriental eye is being defined as the characteristics of eyelid in Chinese descendants. People with Chinese ancestry can be easily recognized by its unique characteristics, which the upper eyelid crease is not as apparent compare to other races, looks puffier and has more fullness, narrower palpebral fissure, wider soft tissue intercanthal distance as compare to Caucasians, upward lateral canthal tilting that appear as slant eyes, and commonly seen with mild ptosis and epicanthal fold.

According to anatomical findings by Saonanon (2014) study on Asian eyelid in Chinese, Japanese and Koran individuals, the submuscular fibrodipose tissue (SMFAT) within the superficial fat layer, which lies between the orbicularis oculi muscle and orbital septum is different as compare to Caucasian due to its thicker structure and is extending to pretarsal area, which is absent in Caucasian. The other significant finding that is associated with single eyelid in Asian is lower-positioned transverse ligament, a ligament structure lies above the fusion line of the orbital septum and levator aponeurosis is well developed entirely, and it is believed to be the restrictor for palpebral fissure height and one of the factors responsible for eyelid crease formation. The appearances of eyelid in Asian were being categorized by Kiranantawat (2015) and Saonanon (2014) into three main types, which are single eyelid, low eyelid crease and double eyelid, while single eyelid has no apparent lid crease, low eyelid crease has low-seated, nasal tapered with hidden fold, and double eyelid has well-formed supratarsal crease.

However, some western standards of beauty have been adopted by the Asian, which high nose, big and round eyes and narrow faces became the ideal images of Asian female. Previously, the traditional-looking Chinese woman has a wide face, thin and long eyes without double eyelid known as “phoenix eyes”, high cheek bones, and flat nose. One of the most famous Chinese celebrity, Fan Bingbing perfectly embodies the Chinese beauty standard, known to be ideal and flawless appearance with her fair skin, seed-shaped face, pointy chin, big eyes with double eyelids, high and straight nasal bridge, and small mouth.

Small and single eyelid eyes are often being known as a “beauty flaw” in Chinese population, and they tend to correct it through cosmetic surgery, as the participants claimed that: all Chinese people think western big eyes and tall nasal bridge are beautiful, and majority of them said that presence of double eyelid gives a big, bright, piercing eyes. Therefore, further intentions such as makeup or cosmetic surgical approach are being sought-after by Asian to obtain these ideal images, some of the most popular surgical procedures in China include double-eyelid operation, nose lengthening, jaw reshaping, and breast enlargement might be done. As bigger eyes are trending, blepharoplasty among the Asians, especially those who are Chinese ancestry with characterized upper eyelid morphology, that is mostly single eyelid and narrow palpebral fissure.

Correia Pereira and Firmato Glória (2010), Lelli and Lisman (2010), Pacella and Codner (2010) studies on blepharoplasty complications stated that, lagophthalmos is a common yet severe complication post-blepharoplasty due to excessive upper eyelid skin removal or trauma to orbicularis oculi muscle, which can lead to ‘guarding’ blinking resulted from pain and incomplete blinking, resulting in corneal staining due to keratopathy and corneal exposure. Mack (2012) study on blepharoplasty complications also stated that, transient lagophthalmos can occur as well, characterized with incomplete blinking and increase blink rate to eliminate dry eye symptoms. Aside from cosmetic surgery, double eyelid makeup is notorious as an alternative to achieve desire look, as it is cheaper, widely available, can be perform by user easily and safe as its temporarily effect. No related study conducted regarding double eyelid makeup, but it may lead to side-effects on ocular health, just as blepharoplasty did.