This editorial draws an unconventional yet insightful comparison between 2 historical beauty practices-classic Hollywood actresses' facial manipulation techniques and the grooming habits of Joseon Dynasty noblemen-through the lens of modern facial rejuvenation surgery. While separated by time and geography, both traditions reveal a sophisticated understanding of facial tension and its role in aesthetic perception. Classic Hollywood figures, such as Audrey Hepburn, often used rubber bands and adhesive tapes under wigs or hats to create a temporary superolateral brow lift. These techniques, aimed at projecting youth and glamour, prefigure modern procedures such as botulinum toxin injections and temporal thread lifts. Similarly, Joseon noblemen used the manggeon, a tightly woven headband worn beneath the traditional gat, to compress the temples and elevate the brows. Though primarily functional in securing the sangtu topknot, this accessory exerted sustained lateral pressure that smoothed forehead lines and created a composed, symmetrical appearance aligned with Confucian ideals of dignity and restraint. The tension vectors produced by these historical methods-diagonal in Hollywood, horizontal in Joseon-mirror those used in modern rejuvenation surgeries like SMAS repositioning and endoscopic brow lifts. Despite differing motivations-Western emphasis on youth versus Eastern emphasis on moral presence-both cultures strategically manipulated facial structures to influence social perception. These findings suggest that modern aesthetic surgery is less a novel invention than a refined continuation of timeless human efforts to shape how the face communicates age, emotion, and identity. By re-examining history, surgeons can enrich their understanding of beauty's cultural roots and its enduring biomechanical logic.
Keywords: Beauty; Korea; cosmetics; plastic; rejuvenation; surgery.
Copyright © 2025 by Mutaz B. Habal, MD.