Lookism in Korea
Does Korea’s intense lookism affect Korean Americans as much?
I’m a Korean American woman who grew up in America. I wouldn’t say I’m drop dead gorgeous but I take good care of my appearance and would say I’m perceived as somewhat attractive, or at least not ugly. Of course I worried about my appearance, but it was never my most pressing concern.
However, I recently came back from Korea after spending two months there and I think it’s really damaged my ego. While I was semi-attractive here, I felt hideous in Korea. Everyone was so well-groomed there, and I found myself devoting a good few hours of my day to doing my makeup and hair, picking out clothes, et cetera each day. It slowly got worse and worse as I began spending more on cosmetics and clothing, but nothing was helping. It got to the point where I was no longer thinking about anything besides my appearance.
Ever since I’ve gotten home, it’s only gotten worse. I’ve started saving for plastic surgery for my next visit there, and my mental state is at an all time low. I can’t even look in the mirror without feeling some sort of deep resentment or frustration that I look this way. Is this a normal phase? Will this feeling pass?