Painful truth of 'insane' skin needling K-pop stars use in name of beauty
The skin-tightening acupuncture is used by models and members of the wildly successful girl band Blackpink.
But Tina Chen Craig, founder of U Beauty, has revealed the painful procedure sees patients inserted with needles '20 times thicker' than those used by traditional Chinese acupuncture practitioners.
Tina dished about her experience during a recent appearance on the Well with Arielle Lorre podcast.
The entrepreneur underwent an extreme form of skin-tightening acupuncture at the hands of Blackpink's mysterious dermatologist, who is known only as 'Dr Yoon' due to the secrecy around her methods.
'It was a Korean deep needling, it was so insane,' explained Tina, who said most patients go under anesthesia for the painful procedure.
'It was about 20 times thicker than the traditional Chinese acupuncture needle.
'When she inserted it I could feel her twisting it, and then she electrified it.'
'It hurts so bad that I started crying,' she added, comparing it to 'acupuncture on steroids.'
After patients are needled and electrified, Dr Yoon uses a 'deep, pulsating tightening machine' that she invented herself.
'That hurt the most,' said Tina. 'I felt my face melting off.'
While Tina admits she did not see results right away, within a month of the procedure she said her skin had started becoming noticeably tighter.
'It's over time. That's what the Asians are about, it's never a quick fix,' she explained.
'By the third month I really felt the tightening. It was crazy. I'd go back in a heartbeat.'
In an interview with Into The Gloss last year, Tina said that patients are 'sworn to secrecy' when it comes to identifying Dr Yoon publicly.
'She's all about improving the texture and health of the skin and avoiding surgery,' she explained.
While Tina couldn't say too much, she did reveal that Dr Yoon's mysterious machine is a combination of two other skincare devices, one being Ulthera - an ultrasound cosmetic procedure used to lift and tighten the skin.
South Korea is known for having some of the strictest beauty standards in the world, and is revered for its cutting-edge plastic surgery procedures and skincare.
Some of the most common physical features considered beautiful in the country include a V-line jaw, pale skin, double eyelids, a thin high nose, and a small face.
According to statistics, nearly 25 per cent of women aged 19 to 29 in South Korea have undergone plastic surgery.
The unrealistic beauty standards in the country have sparked a backlash, particularly from feminist groups.
In 2022, a popular cosmetic surgery reality series was shut down following growing criticism from the public.
The show, titled Let Me In, saw people come in and plead their case to receive a plastic surgery makeover so that they could improve their lives.
Blackpink is composed of four members: Jisoo, 30, Jennie, 29, Rose, 28, and Lisa, 28.
The quartet, the most popular girl group in the world, are set to kick off their next world tour in July.
The tour will kick off in Seoul, with two shows at Goyang Stadium, before stopping in Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, New York, Paris, Milan, Barcelona, Tokyo and more.
The Pink Venom hitmakers will also perform at London's Wembley Stadium on August 15, making them the first K-pop girl group to headline the venue.
This marks Blackpink's first headline tour since their record-breaking Born Pink World Tour, which ran from 2022 to 2023.
It became the highest-grossing tour by a girl group and drew over 1.8 million fans to stages worldwide.
Together, they have redefined global K-pop success, captivating audiences around the world with their dynamic live performances and record-breaking achievements.
They also hold the title as the most-subscribed artist on YouTube, boasting over 96 million subscribers.
Over the past few years, the singers have launched highly successful solo careers, releasing several debut albums, EPs and various chart-topping hits.
Some of the members have also branched out into acting, with Lisa starring on HBO's The White Lotus, while Jennie starred in HBO's The Idol alongside The Weeknd.
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