Author Topic: ethnicity and choosing a jaw surgeon  (Read 1322 times)

Wheatsnax

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 58
  • Karma: 3
ethnicity and choosing a jaw surgeon
« on: August 23, 2016, 10:59:24 AM »
How much does ethnicity familiarity come into play for jaw surgery? I know it makes a great deal in regards to plastic surgery in general. I see you guys mostly mentioning about making the pilgrimage to Europe. Also, I'm abit skeptical about Korean surgeons but I might be making a bad generalization.

I am from south east asia.
« Last Edit: August 24, 2016, 12:49:46 AM by Wheatsnax »

kjohnt

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 387
  • Karma: 26
Re: ethnicity and choosing a jaw surgeon
« Reply #1 on: August 23, 2016, 06:16:31 PM »
none

notsureyet2015

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 21
  • Karma: 0
Re: ethnicity and choosing a jaw surgeon
« Reply #2 on: August 24, 2016, 10:38:46 AM »
Think it plays some - people of African descent and Asian descent tend to have different dental problems (e.g. bimaxillary protrusion is more common), and since aspects of the face are different (e.g. noses may project less, be flatter) you want your surgeon to keep those in mind as they debate how much e.g. maxillary advancement to do.

I'd personally feel more comfortable with a surgeon who had good before/after examples of non-white patients.

kjohnt

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 387
  • Karma: 26
Re: ethnicity and choosing a jaw surgeon
« Reply #3 on: August 24, 2016, 10:12:49 PM »
To be clear, you're saying that non-whites look better with different bone structure than whites?

Lazlo

  • Private
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3004
  • Karma: 175
Re: ethnicity and choosing a jaw surgeon
« Reply #4 on: August 24, 2016, 11:03:34 PM »
Actually it makes a HUGE difference and this is a very, very good question.

I had an Asian (Chinese) jaw surgeon during my first consults and he indicated that a lot of the traits I wanted to achieve (very strong chin, long jawline, high cheekbones etc..) well they were particular masculine ideals more prized within a white-aryan looking context and that in other cultures such features weren't so heavily regarded as beautiful or masculine or prized.

It's funny cause this raises issues about whether beauty is crosscultural and cross-racial ideals are the same or if it is different in different cultures --which it most certainly is if we just look at the evidence historically.

So this CHinese surgeon, while he was open to taking me in the cosmetic direction I wanted he also made me aware of some of the racial and cultural implications of what I was doing.

I mean it's racially true that people from my part of the world have thicker skin, some have thus larger more bulbous noses. Blacks have usually more protrusive maxilla and some have less prominent lower chins even though their jaw structure is fine. Should they be "normalized" to some eurocentric ideal? I would say no, that sounds like butchery not surgery to me.

It's a complicated issue. Most important thing is to have clear communication and set of expectations with your doctor. If that requires five f**king meetings where you ask him to repeat back or draw exactly what he or she is going to do and it mirrors what you wanted or you get an explanation of what IS possible or what they'll go for, well that's what's important. Don't assume they'll do anything regardless of their race.






notsureyet2015

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 21
  • Karma: 0
Re: ethnicity and choosing a jaw surgeon
« Reply #5 on: August 25, 2016, 09:34:24 AM »
To be clear, you're saying that non-whites look better with different bone structure than whites?

Yes, there are a couple of studies showing that African Americans and East Asians have different perceptions for what counts as a beautiful face. See for example the aesthetics many Korean surgeons pursue, which westerners may not like but East Asians may like.

PloskoPlus

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3044
  • Karma: 140
Re: ethnicity and choosing a jaw surgeon
« Reply #6 on: August 25, 2016, 10:04:43 AM »
Yes, there are a couple of studies showing that African Americans and East Asians have different perceptions for what counts as a beautiful face. See for example the aesthetics many Korean surgeons pursue, which westerners may not like but East Asians may like.
AFAIK there is a whole industry in South Korea where they round out the gonial angles, reduce the zygomas, because square jaws, massive cheekbones are associated with barbarian northerners like Mongolians, Tuvans. Ridiculous (as those northerners often have the most amazing robust faces), but true. (Fwiw, Koreans, Japanese, Mongolians are in the same ethnic group).

kjohnt

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 387
  • Karma: 26
Re: ethnicity and choosing a jaw surgeon
« Reply #7 on: August 25, 2016, 11:04:44 PM »
Yeah actually I have seen some crazy cases in which some Asian folks shaved down their gonial angles, and there is one stupid surgeon who loves to increase occlusal planes and make everyone look worse.  Stay away from those types of doctors and you'll be fine.  Otherwise, well-projected, outward-grown, wide faces (as opposed to recessive, downward-grown, narrow faces) are always more attractive regardless of ethnicity/race/whatever.  Most surgeons will aim to mimic that.  They are also generally healthier structures in terms of function.