It is an undeniable fact that cosmetic surgery has become increasingly accepted by and encouraged within the male population. According to a 2005 Surgery News article, in the U.S., alone, the number of surgeries performed on men have more than tripled since 1997. Men are no longer scared to receive botox injections or liposuction or any other procedure that was once culturally restricted to women patients. These days, men from around the world are lining up outside their local cosmetic surgeon's office to purchase a new nose or to re-shape their jaw lines, in an attempt to create a more youthful, attractive look.

What exactly that "look" is, however, varies greatly depending on the individual's specific location and cultural background. While American men crave the strong, chiseled facial structure of such celebrities as George Clooney and Brad Pitt - both viewed as traditionally masculine culture icons - men from say, Korea, want nothing of the sort.

Much like Americans, Koreans are heavily influenced by the physical looks of their own pop culture and cinema icons. As a result, more men are undergoing procedures which will make their angular facial structure smoother and more narrow. According to a recent article, entitled Korean Men in Grip of Plastic Surgery Craze:

At Dong Yang Plastic Surgery in Seoul's affluent Gangnam district, men now make up 40 percent of customers up from less than 10 percent in 2004. The release of the "The King and the Clown” with its celebration of androgynous beauty led to a steady trickle of at least one or two inquiries every day. The clinic's chief says the surge coincided with the rising fame of handsome actors such as Gang Dong-won, Won Bin and Jang Dong-kun.

The softer, more effeminate features of these blockbuster movie stars (one of whom is pictured in the article) have heavily influenced the Korean culture's standard of beauty. Unlike American males, who (for the most part) go to great lengths to avoid looking even the slightest bit effeminate, Korean men are currently experimenting and blurring the line between traditionally masculine and feminine appearances.

Just another example of that age-old saying: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder - or culture, for that matter.