• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.33 no.10
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• pp.1530-1540
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• 2009

Life expectancy has increased and people are more concerned with keeping their 'youth'. Appearance is a competitive edge and people are caught up in a baby face fad that has expanded into a culture and beauty trend. This study examined the definitions and phrenological characteristics of a baby face and the causes of the baby face fad in a review of the baby face as a "sociocultural and beauty cultural code" based on literature, journals, previous papers, and Internet materials. Anatomically speaking, a "baby face" refers to a face that keeps the features of a child's face without aging signs. The baby face fad gained momentum due to the influences of the digital culture, the encouragement of the mass media, changes to the social structure, dietary improvements, new living styles, and an evolving aesthetic sense. The results reveal the sociocultural backgrounds behind the "baby face fad" settling down as a part of culture in addition to the phrenological characteristics of a baby face. It is also estimated that the baby face fad could affect the beauty culture and trends as a social phenomena.