Cosmetic surgery is a curiously popular topic on TikTok.
Perhaps its due to the superficial wave that we’re struggling to move past as a society, after years — decades, even — of Photoshop-driven body dysmorphia. We’re increasingly rejecting all that artificiality, but its scars are slow to heal. A huge number of people made permanent physical alterations to themselves due to media-driven insecurities, and the continued relevance of those insecurities are on full display over on TikTok plastic surgeon Dr. Kim’s page.
Dr. Kim joins a legion of plastic surgeons who’ve found a home on the video-sharing site. People are curious about oft-unseen careers, and that curiosity lends people like Dr. Kim huge followings. He’s currently sitting pretty on more than 145,000 followers, many of whom remain thoroughly divided on Kim’s actual capability as a doctor.
Who is Dr. Kim?
Professionals often flock to TikTok to show off the fruits of their labors, which makes Dr. Kim’s surgery-oriented page nothing new. What is unique about his page, however, is the split reactions his videos tend to get. Kim’s page is exclusively dedicated to former patients and the transformations they’ve undergone following a facelift, but not everyone is impressed with the results.
Sure, many of Kim’s patients look younger a week or so post-op, but their stretched out skin and altered eyes aren’t popular among a large chunk of the TikToker’s viewer base. Comments on many of his videos label Kim’s patients as straight out of a “horror movie,” once he’s finished with them, due to what many see as “botched” surgeries.
Does Dr. Kim botch his surgeries?
Kim’s patients don’t seem to share the “botched” viewpoint. People continue to give him their business, despite his easily accessible TikTok page, and for some the surgeries are evidence of good work. As noted above, his patients certainly look younger once Kim is finished with them, with many sporting much tighter skin that emphasizes their eyes, jawlines, and bone structure.
But they also often look like they’re in pain, which could be a result of either a poorly-done surgery, or simply the short amount of time that’s passed since they were under the knife. Kim typically shows off his patients around a week post-op, which isn’t much time to recover from an invasive and painful surgery.
Many of his patients likewise exit Kim’s care with hugely altered looks, which could be due to a lack of skill on Kim’s part, or it could be proof that he does a good job. Altered looks are kind of the point of plastic surgery, and the people who lean on Kim’s services certainly look different. They sometimes look like they’ve dropped a dozen years, but they also look a little plastic. If that’s the point, bravo Dr. Kim — if not, ouch.
Its really up to the eye of the beholder, if you base things off commenter responses to Dr. Kim’s content. While some are blasting him as producing “Horrors beyond my imagination,” and reminders of “uncanny valley,” others note that his patients actually look quite good. They’re of the impression that his services seem “quite worth it,” and even inquire as to his pricing and location.
At the end of the day, we are blessedly free to choose whether or not to utilize Dr. Kim’s services — and even whether or not to watch his content. People creeped out by his patient transformations can always look elsewhere for their content, and steer far clear of his plastic surgery practice.