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What the plastic surgery capital teaches us about evolving beauty standards

Part 3 of TED Radio Hour episode How you see yourself

Women have faced pressure to keep up with evolving beauty ideals for millenia. But today, journalist Elise Hu says cosmetic surgery and AI are reshaping our perception of beauty more than ever.

About Elise Hu

Elise Hu is a journalist and podcaster who hosts the shows TED Talks Daily, Accenture's Built for Change, and Forever35.

Hu is also co-founder of an LA-based podcast production company, Reasonable Volume. She previously worked as a TV correspondent at VICE News and a host and correspondent for NPR. From 2015 to 2018, she was NPR's first bureau chief in Seoul, South Korea. Her book is Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty Capital.

This segment of the TED Radio Hour was produced by Katie Monteleone and edited by Sanaz Meshkinpour. You can follow us on Facebook @TEDRadioHour and email us at [email protected].

Web Resources

Related TED Bio: Elise Hu
Related TED Talk: Your relationship expectations could be holding you back
Related TED Talk: How colorism shapes our standards of beauty

Related NPR Links

TED Radio Hour: The beauty ideal
Code Switch: Is beauty in the eyes of the colonizer

Copyright 2025 NPR

Manoush Zomorodi
Manoush Zomorodi is the host of TED Radio Hour. She is a journalist, podcaster and media entrepreneur, and her work reflects her passion for investigating how technology and business are transforming humanity.
Katie Monteleone
Katie Monteleone is a producer for TED Radio Hour. She started out as an intern for the show in January 2019. After her internship, Monteleone began producing for Life Kit before returning to the TED Radio Hour team in October 2019 as a full-time producer.
Sanaz Meshkinpour
[Copyright 2024 NPR]

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