Plastic Surgery in Vietnam

I figure everyone knows at least one person who has had some type of plastic surgery.  I know quite a few people who have, for whatever reason, become dissatisfied with their person and opted to change their physical attributes. When it comes to people outside of immediate family (meaning my wife and daughter), I figure everyone has the right to alter their self however they see fit.  The only reason I don't feel the same way about my wife and daughter is because I feel more responsible for their safety and appearance, AND I have to look at them every day.

Plastic surgery seems to be common in Vietnam.  I know a lot of Diep's friends have traveled to Bangkok and Hong Kong to get breast augmentation, and I see a lot of women here who have had nose and eye surgery. So, I know the idea of plastic surgery is not uncommon, though some Vietnamese may be a little reticent to have it done in Vietnam. They should be!

A recent death on the table at a local cosmetology clinic brought the issue to the forefront in the minds of a lot of women in Vietnam. A young 37-year old Hanoian (who I heard weighed 49 kilos, or 108 pounds) went to the Cat Tuong Clinic in Hanoi to have liposuction, and breast enhancement using the fat sucked from her belly.  Apparently she had a reaction to the anesthetic and died on the table.  The doctor then enlisted the help of a security guard to cart her body to the Vinh Tuy Bridge and toss her into the Red River. The case is ongoing, but apparently there is a legal need for the body before authorities can charge the doctor with murder; to date, the body has not been found.

As the article states, four people have died from botched plastic surgery since 2005.  All of those botched surgeries occurred in Hanoi, but despite popular opinion, things aren't any better in Saigon.  A Vietnamese-American successfully sued a Saigon-based plastic surgeon finally getting the equivalent of USD$10,700 in compensation for damage to her health and breast beauty.  In the procedure that she underwent, she lost her right nipple to infection.  This, to a person who appreciated her mammary-assets so much that she had already had three breast surgeries prior to this one.

I imagine the most common cosmetic surgery in Vietnam is to the nose.  Most Vietnamese aren't satisfied with their nose, they long for a high bridge… this I understand, seeing my own wife trying to find a pair of sunglasses that stay on her nose.  I remember one particularly attractive Vietnamese-American who had a nose bridge put in while I was in the U.S.  An infection followed and she was forced to have the bridge taken out, leaving a horrible scar. I wonder if there was any regret. Probably the second most common surgery is to the eyes, to cut the flap of skin over the eye to have it lay against the eye. I really don't get this one at all. What I find most peculiar about these two procedures, is the button nose and "squinty" eyes are usually pretty cute, and very characteristic of the Vietnamese race.  Characteristic of women who are known for their beauty and grace throughout the world.

I have nothing against tattoos in general, but I hate to see a woman who has tattooed her eyebrows black or lips red. That is one that I have no tolerance for in my immediate family. Apparently, this procedure saves time putting on make-up in the morning. My advice, either take the time and do it right, or just don't put on make-up in the first place.  You look fine, believe me!  I imagine the best deterrence to these tattoos is to point out every older woman who has had these tattoos for a decade or two.

I know at least two men who have had liposuction.  I thought about that, for about two seconds. I was told it is a painful procedure, and if those two guys can be taken as examples, I can see it is only temporary without a change in lifestyle.  As long as I can work out and diet,I will just keep trying the old fashioned way.

It seems to me the women who need cosmetic surgery the least in Vietnam are the ones who get it the most.  My best advice to any woman looking to get cosmetic surgery who isn't deformed or tragically mutilated in a motorbike accident is, JUST SAY NO!