Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu’s sudden death earlier this year shocked fans around the world. Having died at just 49 due to complications related to the flu, many speculate that her premature death may have been hastened by years of extreme beauty routines and unhealthy lifestyle choices.
Director Wong Jing recently shared memories of Barbie Hsu during a livestream, describing his initial obsession with her pale complexion. According to him, Barbie Hsu, who naturally had darker skin, did everything to whiten it, including injections of potentially harmful substances.
Early in her career, Barbie Hsu faced criticism for her slightly darker complexion and body shape. Determined to meet public expectations, she adhered to rigorous self-discipline, often ignoring the impact on her health.
In 2004 he published a beauty guide, The queen of beautysharing her rigorous skincare and diet. Although the book has sold over 100,000 copies and inspired many young women, few have managed to replicate its harsh methods safely.
Barbie Hsu reportedly avoided sunlight completely, wore long-sleeved clothing even in summer, applied up to four layers of sunscreen for ten days, and excluded dark-colored foods from her diet. Even more dangerously, he experimented with anticoagulant injections to achieve clearer skin, a practice that could make his body highly prone to bruising or bleeding from minor injuries.
He openly admitted, “To be white as a fluorescent lamp, I would rather die than expose myself to sunlight… If it hurt me, I would still try. Either be thin, or I would die. For beauty, I would even take poison.”
Barbie Hsu also followed an extreme diet to maintain her figure, remaining around 42-44 kg (92-97 lbs) for a height of 1.62 m (5’3″). She avoided sweets for over ten years, subsisting on small portions of rice with fermented tofu and a few sips of Coca-Cola Zero every day. She is said to have tried electroshock therapy to aid weight loss and later maintained a unique vegetarian practice to 15 years, consuming only spoiled or decayed vegetables, believing that plants have life and should not be eaten fresh.
Throughout her life, Barbie Hsu admitted that she constantly felt tired and needed assistance from staff to move around while working. Experts and netizens speculate that these extreme dietary and beauty practices likely compromised her immune system, leaving her vulnerable to disease and contributing to her premature death.
Barbie Hsu’s story is a stark reminder of the dangers of prioritizing beauty over health, showing how relentless public pressure can lead to life-threatening decisions.
Sources: kenh14
