Esther Lyuh shocked by malicious comments over bare-faced appearance

Doctor and entrepreneur Esther Lyuh has opened up about the hurt she felt from comments criticizing her appearance after appearing on a broadcast with a bare face. Even for someone known for her outspoken personality, the unexpected critiques of her looks were inevitably disconcerting.

In a video showcasing her daily life on Jeju Island, released on the 7th on her YouTube channel 'Esther Lyuh's Esther TV,' she recalled her recent television appearance while applying makeup herself.

She explained the situation of revealing her bare face during the broadcast, saying, “When I appeared on 'Same Bed, Different Dreams' last time, I woke up in the morning and filmed without doing any makeup.”

The problem arose after the broadcast. Lyuh candidly confessed, “People who saw it were asking, ‘Does Dr. Esther Lyuh not go to the dermatologist these days?’ or ‘Why are her eyes sagging like that?’ I was truly shocked.”

Because of this, during the filming that day, Lyuh repeatedly checked with the production crew whether it was okay to keep capturing her bare face on camera. The malicious evaluations of her appearance had become a greater burden than expected.

At that point, the production crew shifted the mood. When a staff member jokingly remarked, “On the screen I'm filming, you look like a high school girl,” Lyuh burst into laughter, saying, “Is that kind of flattery allowed? That's the first time I've ever heard such flattery.”

She continued with her signature cheerful way of speaking, responding, “Since you suddenly called me a high school girl, I feel good. I guess this kind of flattery feels good when you get older.”

Afterward, Lyuh began applying makeup. She identified her eyes as the area she focuses on most during makeup, mentioning her drooping eyelids and small eyes, and put extra effort into her eye makeup.

Even after she finished her makeup, the compliments from the crew continued. When the staff member, who initially said she looked like a high schooler, then said, “You look like a college sophomore,” Lyuh drew laughter by asking, “Is this perhaps a form of gaslighting?”

What makes this anecdote interesting is that it demonstrates how even broadcasters who are accustomed to appearance management and self-image can easily become targets of judgment the moment they show their 'true face' to the public. In particular, unlike a broadcast image constructed through makeup, lighting, and camera angles, a bare face starkly reveals a person's age, expressions, and skin condition.

However, reactions to a natural face do not need to immediately lead to criticism and evaluation. While Lyuh ultimately brushed it off with laughter in her own way, the fact that comments like “Why are her eyes sagging like that?” could be shocking to the person involved shows how easily online language surrounding appearance can turn violent.

Lyuh married Hong Hye-geol in 1994 and recently appeared on SBS 'Same Bed, Different Dreams - You Are My Destiny' to reveal her married life.