Oh good, lucky I held onto mine, then.
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This kind of conjecture starts to weave a fairly insidious through-line: each body part is picked up and glorified as trending fashion cycles ebb and flow. 20 years ago it was being flat-chested and five years ago we were all encouraged to have huge bottoms. Our bodies are being treated like a commodity and conforming seems like the only social currency we have.
During the Keeping Up With The Kardashians era, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reported a 90 per cent increase in Brazilian Butt Lift surgeries between the years of 2015 to 2019. In fact, so voracious was the public’s desire to keep up with the Kardashians’ large derriere trend, people were dying. In 2019 one British woman travelled to Turkey to receive BBL surgery and sadly died after practitioners botched the highly risky operation.
Now, over the past year it has been reported that Kim and Khloe Kardashian have had their BBL procedures ‘reversed’ in favour of a more slim and athletic figure.
The issue with these body trends is that celebrities like the Kardashians have an untapped resource and access to the best doctors in the world. As the trends grow, members of the public will try and achieve these body types by any means possible even if it comes at a huge cost to their health or even life.
I want to make it clear that I am by no means anti-surgery or anti-procedure. I believe that developments in these areas of cosmetic surgery can be incredibly affirming for those wanting to make changes to their face and body.
But – and I understand this is a complex issue to tackle – making an informed choice with a trusted provider to make an amendment to your body feels miles away from the fast-paced trends that are growing in popularity across TikTok. One day big boobs and small waists are in and literally the next day having a flat chest and a big bottom is trending. And yes even leg-lengthening surgery is on the rise. It’s bloody exhausting (and not to mention financially untenable) trying to keep up.