Well-Being
Will the West embrace the South Korean male beauty product industry?
PHOTO: ‘V’ or Kim Tae Hyung from Korean band BTS
Over the past decade South Korean men have become the world’s biggest male spenders on skincare and beauty products. The market has grown by 44% in the country in the six years before 2017, according to Euromonitor.
This figure is even higher for Gen Z respondents (the ones born after 2000), with 58% saying they pamper themselves with “lengthy” beauty or grooming treatments at least once per week, nearly twice as much as South Korean men overall at 34%.
About three quarters of South Korean men undertake a beauty or grooming treatment at least once a week, according to a recent survey by GlobalData. How many men in the West are following these trends? A lot fewer.
According to Roald Maliangkay, director of the Korea Institute at The Australian National University, this phenomenon can be explained in part by the influence of K-pop, South Koreas massively popular music industry.
“I am struck by how many local young men are now emulating the look typical of Korean male idols. I saw many men in sharply cut outfits with perfectly groomed dyed hair and double eyelids (as a result of cosmetic surgery), and I even noticed a few men wearing some light makeup,” he said in a special report on CNN.
The origins of South Korea’s male beauty obsession are complex, however. Maliangkay’s 2010 study “The effeminacy of male beauty in Korea” highlights an alternative theory: that the rejection of traditional masculinity was in fact led by women as a backlash against severe gender inequality.
One of the main catalysts, his paper argues, was the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Unemployment across the country rose, but figures show that women were disproportionately affected.
“In the year following the crash, female employment fell by 8.2%, almost 3 percentage points more than the equivalent figure for men. Resentment over this and other workplace inequalities, as well as the rise of literature and film questioning traditional gender roles, led women to seek out softer male figures who had the potential to make the opposite sex feel more powerful.”
The trend may also result from pressure on men to compete in a tough job market, according to James Turnbull, a writer and lecturer based in the city of Busan, South Korea, who specialises in Korean feminism and popular culture.
“In this cut-throat environment, 20 and 30 somethings are all about improving their ‘specs’ with extra degrees, courses, internships, English-language qualifications and so on.”
Turnbull added that Korean companies routinely ask job applicants for photographs on their CVs.
Katherine Spowart, who runs the beauty blog SkinfullofSeoul, stressed that Korean men still face specific social pressures.
“Male beauty is generally much more accepted as a concept in South Korea, but it doesn’t relieve each gender of their traditional roles in mainstream culture. Gender roles are still fairly rigid, sexual choices other than heterosexuality are generally not talked about, and it’s a patriarchal culture.”
But now the West is fighting back in the pursuit of perfect brows and flawless skin. In September, Chanel released Boy de Chanel, its first cosmetics range for men. The line features eight shades of tinted foundation, a two-in-one brow pencil and brush, and a transparent matte lip balm.
Aiming to “write the vocabulary of a new personal aesthetic for men,” the French house piloted the collection in South Korea before making it available online to US shoppers last November.
But David Yi, founder of the US-based male beauty blog Very Good Light, says there are still huge challenges for beauty brands intending to woo men.
“There are still many, many years until makeup becomes widely accepted in the US. South Korea is so progressed when it comes to beauty,” he added. “They have a makeup look solely for men that’s completely different from women, which is what K-pop male stars subscribe to.”
Excerpts from a CNN article HERE.
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Thai Life
2019: It’s all about you
2019 comes with all sorts of expectations – a new beginning, a renaissance, a rebirth. You may be looking ahead for individual tweaks and improvements or perhaps you want to change something altogether.
From cutting out chocolate to saturated fats, many will look at altering their figure. Thanks to numerous technological advancements and greater accessibility to overseas travel, you may wish to combine a procedure with a foreign Holiday.
From Bali to Bangkok, you can now experience similar standards of care with significantly reduced prices across a variety of invasive and non-invasive treatments, for example CoolSculpting, Hair Transplant, Face lift or a Tummy Tuck.
What better way to relax and recover after your procedure in some of the world’s most exotic locations and whether basking on a beach or recuperating in a stunning resort setting nearby, combining your health and beauty with a unique holiday is just what the doctor ordered.
No need to worry about the standard of healthcare as it is precisely the same if not better than back home. You will get treated in exemplary medical facilities and clinics which offer state of the art diagnostic equipment and dedicated bilingual nurses. The opportunity to be pampered as a part of an inexpensive procedure is an undeniable bonus.
medical.thethaiger.com offer patients a one-stop platform to help you plan the perfect medical tourism experience. They have partnered with a host of JCI-accredited facilities where you can expect nothing but the finest treatment as well as top-quality cosmetic procedures.
Thai Life
Top 10 conditions where medical cannabis was prescribed in 2018
Thailand has legalised Medical Cannabis for prescribed medical use only.
The penalty for recreational use of cannabis in Thailand remains a serious matter, where those found in possession of 10 kilograms of herb or less could expect to do up to five years in prison. Anything more and you’re facing life in prison. No information is currently available on the process of obtaining Medical Marijuana and details will follow this year.
Here’s our list of the 10 most common conditions Medical Cannabis was has been prescribed for during 2018, outside of Thailand…
Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple Sclerosis is a disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms vary both in type and severity, but typically include pain, spasms, balance issues, tingling, vision problems and more. Cannabis based medicinal extracts can significantly reduce the spasticity and pain associated with Multiple Sclerosis while having few adverse effects on patients.
Spinal Cord Injury
Caused by trauma to the spine, spinal cord injuries are known to affect motor skills and can potentially lead to a total loss of function in some parts of the body. Research suggests cannabis can help patients treat the pain and muscle spasms that are often symptomatic of a spinal cord injury. Cannabis medicinal extracts can improve neurogenic symptoms unresponsive to standard treatments.
Spinal Cord Disease
Multiple Sclerosis, Spina Bifida, Syringomyelia and Spinal Stenosis can all be considered examples of spinal cord disease. Patients living with a spinal cord disease may find therapeutic value in using cannabis based medicine, thanks to cannabis’ ability to alleviate spasticity and pain – two of the most common symptoms associated with spinal cord disease.
Cancer
While cannabis cannot cure cancer, it can drastically reduce the severity of symptoms and improve quality of life for patients. THC and CBD (two of the key active components found in cannabis) can stimulate appetite, which may help with the weight loss, anorexia and cachexia that many cancer patients experience. In addition, cannabis is very effective at combating the nausea caused by conventional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy.
HIV/AIDS
Modern therapy allows those with HIV/AIDS to live a long and mostly healthy life, the side effects of the treatment can be challenging to deal with. This is where medicinal cannabis comes in. A number of studies show that medical cannabis can improve many HIV/AIDS-related symptoms, including anorexia, weight loss and severe nausea.
Arthritis
There are more than 100 different types of arthritis, with some of the more common types including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriatic arthritis. Symptoms typically include swelling and redness around the joint, reduced range of motion, stiffness, weakness and severe, ongoing pain. It’s the latter symptom that cannabis is most effective at treating.
Epilepsy
The disorder is characterised by seizures, which range from relatively mild (a moment of impaired concentration) to extreme (total loss of consciousness and awareness). Cannabis based medicines – and CBD-dominant products in particular – have proven to be very effective at reducing the frequency and severity of epilepsy seizures. With that said, medical cannabis should only be used in treatment resistant cases of seizures.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Describes disorders that result in inflammation of the digestive tract, including Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease. Research has found that IBD patients experienced a variety of health benefits from using cannabis. Factors such as physical pain, social functioning, general health perception, ability to work and depression all saw notable improvement.
End of Life Care
Studies have shown that medicinal cannabis may also be an effective treatment option in palliative care, which could be vital in the years ahead as many nations come to terms with aging populations. Research published in Current Oncology found that medical cannabis could “provide further relief from distressing symptoms and spiritual suffering”, while improving patients’ overall quality of life.
Insomnia
THC- and CBD-dominant cannabis based medicines offer effective therapy for a range of sleep disorders, including insomnia. Cannabis is thought to reduce sleep latency, induce drowsiness and improve quality of sleep.
This year we’ll see how the medical cannabis industry might develop in Thailand and how patients could be able to obtain prescriptions for the above mentioned conditions or any others which could benefit from this form of treatment, but expect a slow and long journey, as was the case in North America.
It’s worth noting that it may take several months before licensed physicians are ready to prescribe medicinal marijuana products.
Thai Life
Bare your sole. The benefits of barefoot training.
It’s hard to complain about life when you’re sweating it out with sand between your toes, the tropical sun on your back and the stunning blue of the Andaman ahead of you. It’s a good thing that barefoot training is catching on and becoming more popular with trainers and coaches.
Many people are aware that barefoot running has been gaining in popularity. However, there are many other sports and activities that are prime for barefoot training, including Yoga, gymnastics, dance, Muay Thai, other martial arts and, my favourite, Clean The Beach Boot Camp.
Training – and even walking – barefoot is something simple that we can do to improve the health of our feet, as well as the rest of our bodies.
Being barefoot is natural. Most of us learned to walk barefoot and spent our childhood running around shoeless. Though we quickly become accustomed to shoes, it is an extremely liberating feeling to be without them.
Once we get used to the feeling – again – we naturally love it.
What’s strange, though, is that we have developed a mentality, which is finally being rolled back, that wearing shoes is ‘natural’, and that our feet are fragile and not designed to support us properly. This, of course, isn’t the case – and a fairly silly assumption when you think about it.
Of all the footed, pawed and hooved species of the world, why would homo sapiens need shoes? Lest we forget that an enormous number of people all over the world spend their entire lives without ever wearing shoes. Many wander savannas and rain forests without the protection or support of shoes.
The reward is strong, healthy feet.
In fact, people who have never worn shoes before, have very few foot problems.
Think about it…
1) The foot contains the most proprioceptors (sensors) in the body, so why would we want to deafen the messages to the nervous system by minimizing the amount of information received through our feet?
2) The foot contains 26 bones and 25 joints, which means there is a lot of coordination necessary to have your foot working at optimal efficiency. The foot has to move in all 3 planes of motion, as it deals with gravity, multiplanar movement, proprioception and dynamic stability. This all becomes hard when we have a barrier between its sensors and the world, such as orthotics, heel lifts and so on.
3) The body recognizes movements, not muscles, so the more we can take the foot to the end of its range of function without pain or discomfort, the better it will react, and the more likely it will allow us to activate our abs – even when we are simply walking.
4) Another advantage is simply that without a shoe on it’s easier to diagnose issues starting with the feet that cause other physical issues, such as knee pain, hip dysfunction or sacroiliac joint (SIJ) pain.
It’s best to liken wearing shoes to how grains and dairy have become incorporated in our diets – these are things recently introduced into our lives and have many potential pitfalls, including, but not limited to, arch pain, arthritis of the foot, bunions, calluses, heel pain and overlapping toes.
On top of this, there are a slew of indirect issues associated with wearing shoes, especially ones that don’t fit properly. These issues can develop in your ankles, knees or hips. They can also develop in your back.
Fashion has seduced many women into cramming their feet into narrow shoes and staggeringly tall stilettos – take a peek at what women are wearing as they trudge along Soi Bangla. The damage from these shoes is very real. I am constantly reminding my female clients about the dangers of high heels. Yes, ladies, they might look good, but they are a surefire way to fan the flames of future health issues caused by progressively shortening and tightening the calf muscles. This can set in motion a chain of events that will affect other parts of your body, such as your back.
Even though shoes might be a certain kind of evil, you don’t want to just kick them off and immediately start running the streets without a care in the world. There are several things to consider.
Firstly, take in your environment. Outside of the obvious – avoid glass walking – be aware that most gyms won’t let you slip out of your trainers. However, they will allow you to train in barefoot shoes, such as Vibram Five Fingers.
Secondly, don’t forget where you’re coming from. If you have engaged in barefoot practices, such as Muay Thai, in the past, you will probably adapt to other forms of shoeless training faster than someone who has worn shoes their entire life. The bottom line is to listen to your body and take time to adjust to either barefoot shoes or the real deal.
Basically, use common sense. Phuket can be hot – to put it modestly – so avoid freshly baked pavement and shoot for some grass, or for the tide line on the beach.
If you’re not sure if barefoot training is for you, at least kick off your shoes and give it a go with the Clean The Beach Boot Camp – there is no better introduction.
Author
Krix Luther has been Personal Training in Phuket for more then 10 years, he specialises in weight loss, strength and conditioning and TRX . For more information about Krix and his services, visit krixluther.com
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