KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 -- Young South-east Asians are increasingly seeking affordable cosmetic enhancements, from botox to fillers, often turning to unlicensed clinics or traveling to countries like Thailand and Vietnam.

While social media influencers and beauty industry algorithms fuel the demand, experts warn of the psychological toll of chasing ever-changing beauty ideals.

Obsession with aesthetics

By 21, Singaporean beauty blogger Regina Yeo had reshaped her jawline and nose-achievements she credits to a risky visit to an unlicensed clinic.

Now 25, she has no regrets, seeing aesthetic procedures as routine self-improvement. "It's like going to the gym," she said in an interview published in the South China Morning Post today.

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