Summary
The article “Brazilian butt lift: Behind the world’s most dangerous cosmetic surgery” explores the rise of the Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) procedure. It discusses risks associated with BBL that may lead to lethal consequences and the reasons for taking risks. The author states that the growth in profit and the need to satisfy beauty standards stand central to receiving the BBL procedure. In addition, different issues have raised the popularity of BBL, such as aggressive marketing and unethical, cheap procedures in Brazil.
What I Learned
Reading the article, I learned numerous new facts about the gravity of the risks of the Brazilian butt lift procedure. The high mortality rate of most cosmetic surgeries and the high chance of being left unsatisfied with the result stand to be crucial in the question of BBL. This information, although known to me, still shocked me due to my unawareness of the statistics that one in three thousand patients die from complications, making it “the world’s most dangerous cosmetic procedure” (Elmhirst, 2021, para. 9). It was also interesting to understand Brazil’s social and economic situation, in which surgeons can exploit low-income patients to experiment with new techniques and methods. This unlawful and unethical practice is still widely experienced by many patients in Brazil, which also complicates the process of stopping it due to the lack of consent from low-income individuals.
What I Want to Learn More About
One topic worth exploring is social media’s influence on the BBL’s popularity. The article states that Instagram is a powerful tool for gaining more clients for surgeries, attracting new patients through different aggressive slogans, especially in Turkey, because of the “freedom their surgeons enjoy” (Elmhirst, 2021, para. 45). In addition, they use different Instagram models to set abnormal beauty standards and force individuals to use their cosmetic procedures.
This topic can be further explored from the perspective of both the positive and negative influences that this marketing can bring. For example, although these surgeries might attract individuals through different aggressive methods, they also force them to show the real results of patients who used their practices. This allows for greater transparency among the surgeries’ results, and social media allows patients to read reviews and commentaries from other patients on their services.
Several follow-up questions can be used:
- How do people’s perceptions of their bodies change due to ongoing exposure to severely manipulated and filtered photos on social media platforms?
- Are there any current initiatives to control or lessen the impact of social media on one’s self-esteem and body image?
- What actions may be implemented to encourage more inclusive and diverse media representations of beauty?
Diverse Impact of the Article
This article’s material has a big social and personal impact. It clarifies the potentially harmful effects of Brazilian butt lift surgery and poses significant queries concerning ideals of beauty and body image. The normalization of these dangerous procedures encourages negative body image stereotypes and exaggerated expectations about women’s bodies (Elmhirst, 2021). The article calls the new standards an “imitation of blackness,” representing the problem that others may face (Elmhirst, 2021, para. 27).
Understanding these problems can open up more extensive talks about consent, body positivity, and the need for improved regulation of the cosmetic surgery sector. The essay also emphasizes the socioeconomic factors contributing to the BBL’s popularity. It examines the exploitation of vulnerable people who could seek these surgeries for socioeconomic reasons and highlights how the procedure is more common in marginalized groups. This knowledge can motivate discussions regarding racial inequities.
Relevance to Real Life
When I read this story, I couldn’t help but think about how cultural beauty standards affect women’s lives. Self-esteem and body image can suffer due to the demands to fit in that are pushed by social media and the media. This post reminded me as a woman of the value of accepting different body shapes and resisting social norms that uphold unattainable beauty standards.
This serves as a reminder to put self-acceptance first, as no one is insured for a butt lift, since the body “remains alive, organic, unpredictable” (Elmhirst, 2021, para. 58). Different females also consider using the surgery to fit the beauty standards that are abnormal in terms of a healthy body. The butt lift itself is seen to be a necessity due to their genetics, but it also raises the question of whether these surgeries are justified in the modern world of abduction from standards and norms.
The Interest in Women’s Studies
This article would be of special interest to a student or scholar of women’s studies due to its intersectional study of beauty standards, the cosmetic surgery industry, and the influence on women’s bodies. It looks at how cultural norms and media representations of women’s bodies affect how they see themselves and their decisions about their bodies. With an emphasis on underserved states, the essay also emphasizes the inequities in access to cosmetic operations.
This article offers new perspectives on the processes when women’s studies experts explore gender, race, class, and sexuality. The article shows individual’s perception of own body as something that is not “biological event of decaying but a project that can be constantly improved” (Elmhirst, 2021, para. 56). It encourages reflection on the societal pressures that women experience, the commodification of beauty, and the unequal power dynamics that affect choices regarding women’s bodies.
Reference
Elmhirst, S. (2021). Brazilian butt lift: Behind the world’s most dangerous cosmetic surgery. The Guardian. Web.