Cosmetic Surgery
Kylie Jenner Lip Fillers
Since the 1970s, feminist writing has correlated cosmetic surgery with women's deep psychic victimization and there has been a recent resurgence in the popularity of cosmetic surgery [1]. The origin of cosmetic surgery was intended for celebrities to make themselves appear "perfect" and "flawless" for Hollywood, however, ordinary women are also pursuing it as a means of beautifying themselves [1]. The use of cosmetic surgery as a means to enhance one's self has become increasingly normalized in modern society. The beauty culture is oppressive in its construction of beauty, especially in terms of how a woman should look [2]. Celebrities and social influencers have a prominent role in this since most of these famed individuals have gotten cosmetic surgery themselves. Some of these procedures include getting lip fillers, Botox, and nose jobs. One notable celebrity and influencer on Instagram is Kylie Jenner. She is a part of the infamous Kardashian-Jenner family who has their own reality TV show that revolves around their lives as celebrities [3]. Kylie is the youngest of her family and arguably the most financially successful as well, she has been named the youngest billionaire by Forbes largely in part due to her Kylie Cosmetics company. Kylie Jenner particularly has one of the largest social media presences, thus she has the potential to influence a large portion of her followers which includes women.
Jenner has admitted to receiving lip fillers as a means to surgically enhance her lips. The cosmetics industry, magazines, and more recently, social media use celebrity endorsements [4]. Injectable fillers are less costly, so they tend to be the more popular option as opposed to cosmetic surgery in most cases. These procedures can be used to restructure jawlines, noses, cheeks, and used to fill in wrinkles. Cosmetic surgeons have observed more patients that want to look like filtered and altered photos of themselves that are created through editing apps and filters on various platforms. According to statistics from the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, about 55% of facial plastic surgeons reported seeing patients who wanted to improve their selfie appearance for social media platforms [5]. Since women see their face many times a day, there are simply more opportunities for them to notice imperfections that can cause them to be discontent [5].
Since many women use social media multiple times throughout the day on various platforms, "there are plenty of opportunities to obsess over little imperfections that other people may not even notice which can lead to feelings of dissatisfaction and even dysmorphia" [5]. In some cases, plastic surgeons believe that certain patients may not need surgery but psychological help due to an obsession with appearing a certain way. These obsessions could stem from social media if one’s feed is saturated with celebrities and influencers who promote unrealistic beauty standards.
[1] Pitts-Taylor, Victoria. "Miss World, Ms. Ugly: Feminist Debates." In Surgery Junkies: Wellness and Pathology in Cosmetic Culture, 73-99. New Brunswick, New Jersey; London: Rutgers University Press, 2007. Accessed October 13, 2020. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt5hjd3s.7.
[2] Lodge, Caroline, Eileen Carnell, and Marianne Coleman. "Cover up." In The New Age of Ageing: How Society Needs to Change, 111-30. Bristol: Bristol University Press, 2016. Accessed November 2, 2020. doi:10.2307/j.ctt1t898br.14.
[3] Widdows, Heather. "Life Is One Long Catwalk." In Perfect Me: Beauty as an Ethical Ideal, 50-69. PRINCETON; OXFORD: Princeton University Press, 2018. Accessed November 2, 2020. doi:10.2307/j.ctvc77j2q.6.
[4] Lodge, Caroline, Eileen Carnell, and Marianne Coleman. "Cover up." In The New Age of Ageing: How Society Needs to Change, 111-30. Bristol: Bristol University Press, 2016. Accessed November 2, 2020. doi:10.2307/j.ctt1t898br.14.
[5] Willingham, AJ. "Social Media Filters Mess with Our Perceptions So Much, There's Now a Name for It." CNN. Last modified August 10, 2018. https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/10/health/snapchat-dysmorphia-cosmetic-surgery-social-media-trend-trnd/index.html.