A disturbing photo on Reddit has drawn attention to the latest plastic surgery trend sweeping South Korea.
It allegedly shows a woman with a disturbing curl surgically cut into her lip to create a permanent smile, almost as severe as Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight. (click the photo to enlarge)
While the photo has not been authenticated, the procedure is a real thing, according to Business Insider.
According to a video produced by Aone Plastic Surgery in South Korea, this procedure (called a “Smile Lipt” because it combines
lip and lift) corrects “drooping” mouth corners and enables people to look like they are smiling without actually smiling.
The cosmetic procedure is ideal for patients with sagging or asymmetric mouth corners or people who are not confident with their smiles, the video says.
South Korea’s penchant for plastic surgery is well-known. In the country’s capital of Seoul, one and five women have had some type of procedure.
