Living standards in Taiwan are high, and the population has embraced cosmetic care with open arms, with over a million procedures performed every year.

Still, when it comes to plastic surgery the people of Taiwan are said to be more conservative than many others in Asia.

Taiwan patients seem to worry more about their surgical results looking natural than glamorous, and they are generally less concerned about conforming to formulas purporting to define ideal facial proportions.

They also favor a less aggressive approach to surgical makeover and prefer smaller nips and tucks to total mega-makeovers.

While the local plastic surgeons do indeed admire the skill of their South Korean colleagues, some in Taiwan see the Korean approach as overly formulaic at times and not always appropriate to the different anatomic needs of their population.

For instance, the "typical" Taiwanese nose tends to more resemble that seen in Southeast Asia and is rounder and thicker, and so creating a small and high tip may appear visually awkward.