The New Year will always bring new trends in the fashion world, but a particularly unusual one is gaining popularity in South East Asia at the moment. Fake braces are set to become one of the most peculiar popular fashion trends in 2013, although it remains to be seen whether it takes hold in more Western countries. Indeed, whilst teenagers in the UK and Europe are clamouring to find the very finest women’s fashion clothing, teens in the East are snapping up black market braces which can cost up to $100 a time.
One of the main reasons behind the trend is the fact that dental surgery can cost thousands of pounds in places such as Bangkok. As such, real braces are out of the reach of many ordinary people. Fake braces are available in a number of different colours and patterns, including popular characters such as Mickey Mouse and Hello Kitty.
East Asian blogs who would normally blog about things such as glamorous clothing have been debating about the many advantages and disadvantages to this latest trend. Pop stars such as Katy Perry have led to a belief that braces are cool, however there are significant risks to buying black market braces. Some orthodontists have warned that some of the fake braces contain materials like lead and can cause painful sores on the gums and inside of the mouth. As such, it is unlikely to be a trend that catches on quickly with the youth who live closer to home!
