Welcome To Nip Tuck Holidays
You may be aware of the increasing trend of Australians heading overseas for cosmetic surgery procedures. Australians fly abroad each year for cosmetic surgery and dental procedures where you can save more than 60%! These so-called “Nip Tuck” holidays are growing in popularity!
Nip Tuck Holidays is one of the pioneer medical tourism agency’s in Australia established in 2007. We were the first agency on the Gold Coast to offer to Group Tours to Phuket, with this concept quickly expanding across the East Coast of Australia to become a popular medical tourism concept and making headlines across newspapers and filling magazines!
NipTuck Holidays have strong professional partnerships and have expanded our network globally offering top medical destinations all over the world. We offer clients the entire package and experience-of-a-lifetime in addition to the highest medical standards of JCI accreditation. JCIA is known as the gold standard in medical care that meet or exceeds the set established standards in the US, but also ensuring our attention to detail in all aspects of the Nip Tuck cosmetic surgery holiday experience is indeed world-class.
Happy Clients
We have an abundance of glowing testimonials and photos from young women who have surgery one day, then drinking cocktails by the pool with brand new assets and in bandages pain-free and happy the next!
At Nip Tuck we know understand first-hand how you are feeling, because we have been through this ourselves. We have had surgery ourself as well as been there and have been there personally for thousands of happy and repeat clients whilst they recover. We also have client relations managers in each destination to offer professional support for our clients when having plastic surgery or dental treatment to have active presence at the hospitals and/or dental clinics for appointments, surgery, follow-ups and assistance and our hotels for client support and reassurance. This creates the best experience for our clients whilst abroad in addition to our already high level of customer service.
Happy Clients
Our focus is the medical procedure and physical transformation and our company being of service to you. For most of our clients cosmetic surgery especially in a foreign country that have never been to before is something that they have you have thought about for a long time. We at Nip Tuck understand first-hand how you are feeling, because we have been through this ourselves and have been there personally in the last 15 years for thousands of happy clients.
We are all about making the way you look on the outside match how you feel on the inside on our cosmetic surgery Nip Tuck Holidays experience-of-a-lifetime cosmetic tours. We are so happy to share many success stories of our happy clients.
Our Procedures
Our Blog
Eyebrow Transplants- Everything You need to Know About the Cosmetic Procedure
Wait, that’s a thing?
Well, yeah. They have the same mechanics as a hair transplant: Fine hairs from the back of the head are removed by either a small linear scar or through tiny little circles around the base of each individual hair follicle and then placed into small, very carefully designed sites in the eyebrow [area].
And the result? LIFE-CHANGING!
The big reason why we have waited is that it was expensive! *Insert medical tourism to Turkey* – and the savings are HUGE! Instead of around $8,000 it’s just over $2 395 at 2 locations in Turkey! Istanbul and Antayla including surgery and hotel stay for 3-4 days all inclusive!
The cost of an eyebrow transplant will vary widely based on a range of factors, including how much hair you want to transfer, but it typically runs between $3,000 and $8,000 in Australia and the US. While at NipTuck Holidays we can offer it at just $2,395!!!
For us personally, , having eyebrows is priceless and life-changing, but that’s a lot of money so lucky that NipTuck Holidays offer weekly payment plans that make it affordable!!!!
What does it involve?
According to an article in the Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, eyebrow transplant surgery generally starts with a patient and their doctor agreeing on the size and density of eyebrows they’re hoping to achieve, with the doctor drawing a representation on the patient’s face using an eyebrow pencil. Then the doctor goes back in with a surgical marker to note the margins, midlines, and peak points of the eyebrows.
Next, hair follicles (little sacs from which hair sprouts) are harvested from the patient’s scalp using a special machine, and the hair on the follicles is trimmed down to 1 to 2 centimeters in length. A small amount of numbing agent is injected into the eyebrow area, along with tumescent, which is an anesthetic that also helps keep the area firm. Then the hair follicles are carefully inserted into the eyebrows, and any hair that still seems exceedingly long is trimmed to be eyebrow-length.
If all goes well, people will not only have thicker eyebrows after a transplant—the eyebrows will also grow on their own once they’ve healed. But some people might need touch-ups to add extra density or even the eyebrows out over time.
Celebrity Eyebrow Transplant
Chrissy Teigen just underwent eyebrow transplant surgery to create a fuller, fluffier look — and of course she shared the “crazy” results with her social media followers.
Amazing!
What does it feel like?
To start with, the transplant is performed under a LA, which means you are awake awake for the whole 5 hour procedure. But you’re in a good state though let me tell you. You don’t feel a thing, watching Netflix, while they’re picking the follicles out of the piece of skin they took from my scalp near the nape of your neck, where the finest hair grows. They pulled some follicles, and you have have 400 on each brow. After they pull follicles, they’re sitting there, you’re ready!
Then, the doctor comes in and she starts basically putting holes in the brow area and then they place the follicle into that hole. Sounds a bit eekie but it’s not that bad, it’s a medical procedure and how hair transplants are performed without any pain or discomfort. It was not a bad process, honestly.
Light bruising and swelling are common for up to five days after the procedure, and a doctor may prescribe painkillers, antibiotics, and/or steroids to help with the healing process. The eyebrows will then flake and peel for a while before they’re fully healed. The hair that was initially transplanted may fall out too—that’s a completely normal step, and most of the hair will grow back by around three months after surgery.
BUT. Here’s the thing, though: The hair’s in there, and you’re like, OH, MY GODDDDDD! I have my eyebrow hair! It has a bit of a scab and then falls out. You’re left with nothing again. Three months later, you see your actual results. For three months, you’re going, Did I just waste my money? My brows are This didn’t work. It feels almost devastating when you’re like, they’re still not, they’re still no eyebrows. But it really, because of where they put the follicle, it really does take time for the hair to become one, and then sprout out just like it does on your head. You just have to give them time, and then, all of a sudden, they grow, and they grow!
Do not fear, the hairs will slowly grow in naturally and give a natural result!
My experience with NipTuck Holidays
My experience with NipTuck Holidays began in 2013 when I travelled in a group tour for a breast lift and augmentation, after being referred by a friend who had travelled the previous year. From the outset, Claire was so knowledgeable and made the process of booking everything so easy.
I had never been overseas so having surgery as well was a little nerve wracking, but my mind was at ease after having everything taken care of. Claire was available to answer any questions or concerns I had, which were few. The hospital and its facilities are world class and I had such a great experience the first time, I booked again in 2014, 1 year later for dental treatment.
Not only was I saving thousands of dollars each time, I was provided world class care and treatment by highly skilled doctors and nurses. Having been treated at many different hospitals in Brisbane, I can say that nothing compares to the facilities in Phuket. It’s now 9 years later, and I have decided to have revision surgery and more dental work. I’ve had absolutely no issues with my breasts, it’s merely a change in shape and size that I desire. I’ve unfortunately fractured the root of one of my teeth and also need fillings and crowns.
The cost in Australia is astronomical and I have chosen to have NipTuck Holidays plan this trip for me again. All I’ve had to do is provide images, travel availability and the rest has been organised for me. Claire is very down to earth and is a wealth of knowledge of the medical tourism industry as well as having long standing relationships with the hospital and their staff. I am leaving in 10 days and am so excited to be welcomed back to Phuket.
South Korea prepares for post-pandemic days with a facelift
Published in the Washington Post by Min Joo Kim and Simon Denyer
SEOUL — In the offices of Grand Plastic Surgery in Seoul’s glitzy Gangnam district, Rhee Se-whan has been busy nipping, tucking and keeping up with clients who see the coronavirus pandemic health rules as the ideal time to tweak their looks.
The doctor — and many others in South Korea’s plastic surgery empire — find themselves in one of the more improbable niches of the pandemic: a miniboom even as other looks-conscious businesses such as fashion and salons have taken big hits from lockdowns and the shift to working from home.
Cosmetic surgery and skin clinics in South Korea recorded a 10 percent jump in sales in the first 10 months of 2020 from the previous year, according to a survey by the Hana Institute of Finance in Seoul.
That boost came without the normal medical tourists from overseas who flock to South Korea, a center in Asia for cosmetic surgery and one of the world’s best-known locales for aesthetic procedures.
The demand these days is nearly all local. Rhee said many have taken advantage of the coverage offered by masks to get cosmetic work done.
“We have seen a jump in nose jobs and wrinkle treatment among older people,” he said.
What else is hot? Eyelift or eye bag removal, he said. Body contouring and liposuction, too.
Dr Rhee Se-whan
“Because,” he said, “people are not working out as much while staying at home.”
Some South Koreans — mainly women, but an increasing number of men as well — have become more self-conscious about lines or bags around their eyes because that’s the only part of their face visible in a masked world.
There is also the Zoom effect — noted by some clinics in the United States and elsewhere — in which the chats with co-workers double as digital mirrors for people to stress over perceived wrinkles and lines. The result: a spike in Botox treatments.
Rhee’s patients include people like Kim, a woman in her 30s, who spoke on the condition that she is identified only by her surname out of privacy concerns. She had extra time and money on her hands after her vacation abroad was canceled last year.
“I’ve been considering it for the past five years, and the pandemic year turned out to be perfect timing,” she said.
Kim had what’s known in South Korea as “aristocrat surgery,” the removal of laugh lines she believes made her look older.
“My doctor told me it usually takes a week for post-surgical recovery, but I could actually go to work the day after the operation, as I was wearing a mask at the office the whole day,” she said. “My laugh lines were recovering underneath the mask as I was working.”
South Korea has the fifth-highest number of plastic surgeons in the world, with more than 2,500 in 2019, according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. That’s fewer than the 6,900 in the United States and the more than 6,000 in Brazil, but higher on a per capita basis.
Lee Eun-hee, a professor of consumer studies at Inha University in Incheon, said it reflects the country’s obsession with physical appearance.
“Girls these days grow up looking at K-pop stars who look like living dolls, and plastic surgery ads target women as young as teenagers,” she said.
In South Korea’s hyper-competitive society, she said, women face so much pressure to look good that it’s almost as though they are in a nationwide beauty contest.
“Korean women find good looks give them decisive leverage, not only in the dating and marriage market, but also in the job market,” she said.
Now, she said, people are making up for lost travel opportunities by splurging on things they can do at home — and plastic surgery is the “peak” item on the binge list.
Demand from South Koreans used to be bunched in the summer and winter holiday seasons, as well as just before the start of the college academic year. During the pandemic, it was spread throughout the year.
The number of people working from home is a big factor, said Rhee, the surgeon, whose office is adorned with photos of him posing with K-pop stars and actors.
“After a facelift, patients need to set aside time for recovery,” he said. “Since the pandemic, patients don’t need to take a week’s vacation anymore; they can spend that time working from home.”
Kim, the patient, says she and her colleagues increasingly share information about plastic surgery, including recommendations about good surgeons or clinics.
“Now that I have fully recovered from the aristocrat surgery, I am actually thinking of getting new facelifts before the pandemic is over,” she said.
At this rate the sky is the limit now the borders are open and patients from all over the world can travel again to South Korea- the plastic surgery capital of the world!
Coming soon to NipTuck Holidays!!!!!!
Article published in Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/korea-pandemic-plastic-surgery-boom/2021/04/23/117b0556-a0e4-11eb-b314-2e993bd83e31_story.html?fbclid=IwAR27_bwKzovrsiB3uAFdsUTUwVI_x-3IVzKsjTeOGatwHss-7x53Xa4xGk4
Confirmed: Australia’s international border will reopen from mid-November
These changes mean there will be no travel restrictions if you are a vaccinated Australian entering or leaving the nation’s shores.
Morrison also said the government is working towards completely quarantine-free travel for certain countries, such as New Zealand when it is safe to do so.
It will also become easier to enter Australia with the plan abolishing international arrival caps on returning vaccinated Australians.
Citizens and permanent residents fully immunised with a vaccine approved or recognised by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) will be required to undergo seven days’ home quarantine.
Others will be required to enter 14 days of managed isolation.
After more than 18 months of being shuttered, PM Scott Morrison has confirmed today that Australia’s border will officially reopen to inbound and outbound international travel from mid-November in states that have hit vaccination targets.
You heard it here. It’s finally happening.
Australia’s tough outbound border restrictions will be scrapped when states and territories are expected to hit 80 per cent double-dose vaccination coverage.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday revealed the path back to international travel with the new system expected to start in November.
“There are no surprises here, this is what we set out to do,” said Morrison.
“Australia will be ready for take-off very soon.”
Restrictions on people leaving the country will be scrapped at 80 per cent coverage – expected in early November in some jurisdictions.
Current overseas travel restrictions will be removed and Australians will be able to travel subject to any other travel advice and limits, as long as they are fully vaccinated and those countries’ border settings allow.
These changes mean there will be no travel restrictions if you are a vaccinated Australian entering or leaving the nation’s shores.
Morrison also said the government is working towards completely quarantine-free travel for certain countries, such as New Zealand when it is safe to do so.
It will also become easier to enter Australia with the plan abolishing international arrival caps on returning vaccinated Australians.
Citizens and permanent residents fully immunised with a vaccine approved or recognised by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) will be required to undergo seven days’ home quarantine.
Others will be required to enter 14 days of managed isolation.
People who cannot be vaccinated including those under 12 or with a medical condition will be treated as vaccinated for the purposes of their travel.
States and territories will begin this program at different times given varying vaccination rates.
Australian travellers will be able to access an internationally recognised proof of vaccination document (Vaccine passport) in the coming weeks to prove their status.
The TGA will also recognise China’s Sinovac and Covishield produced in India as authorised vaccines to enter Australia, meaning Chinese and Indian students, tourists and business travellers can return.
More than 45,000 people are stuck overseas waiting to come home with the NSW government indicating it wants to welcome thousands into the country when borders reopen.
“It’s time to give Australians their lives back,” Mr Morrison said.
More to come.
Article published by https://karryon.com.au/.
TURKEY – THE RISING STAR OF MEDICAL TOURISM
Turkey is one of the top destinations for medical tourism. Home to ancient and scenic natural wonders and famous for its healthcare infrastructure. Being close to Western Europe, Turkey has been medical tourism hotspot for many Europeans seeking affordable cosmetic surgery. Hair transplaint’s have continuously gaining popularity.
There are many reasons why Turkey has become the rising star of medical tourism. The travelling distances to Turkey from the Middle East, Europe, Asia and Africa, makes it possible for people to cut costs. But it isn’t just about that. Despite the lower costs, the quality of procedures offered is world-class.
Affordable Treatment Packages
The medical tourism industry recieved $1.5 billion from medical tourism in 2018, Turkey received around 700,000 medical tourists, according to the Turkish Health Minister. And it has been growing every year since, with the huge influx of medical tourists is that many people in their home countries are unable to afford the treatment. That is why they consider going to other countries to get the same procedure done.
The quality of the procedure offered isn’t sacrificed because of the lower cost. The cost is low because of the Turkish economy itself. The exchange rate and low cost of living make many things seem very cheap to foreigners.
Moreover, the minimum wage is lower in Turkey, which results in cheaper labour costs. This means that surgery in Turkey will cost less than it will, say, in Western Europe. Moreover, having cosmetic surgery or a hair transplant is not available on National Health Service (NHS) in the UK.
No Long Wait Lists
Once you book a treatment package in Turkey, you can get the procedure done in a matter of a day(s). However, in the UK, waitlists can be so long that you might have to wait for almost 2 years to get some procedures done. So, if you want to get treatment without further delays, you can get it in Turkey.
Many people also find the aspect of including the procedure in their vacation time quite appealing. Turkey is a popular tourist destination, which is why many people can relax after or before getting their treatment. If you’re also avoiding unnecessary questions about the surgery by your colleagues, it’s a good idea to get the treatment and recover for a while in Turkey.
Debunking the myths about cosmetic surgery in Turkey
In the past decade, Turkey has become one of the top destinations for medical travel competing with Thailand, Malaysia, Mexico and South Korea. Each year, approximately 500,000 people from around the world travel to Turkey for medical treatment or aesthetic procedures.
With the number of patients from all over the world including Australia continuing to soar, questions have also been raised about the quality of treatments, the diligence of regulation and the satisfaction of patients. In the British media there has been some serious misinformation. In the British media there has been some serious misinformation. Because with huge success comes with a huge responsibility we are going to breakdown some of this misinformation
One of the misconceptions that have been voiced in the tabloid media is that it is legal to perform operations in Turkey at facilities that are not intended for medical use.
“Turkish surgeons can operate in a garage if they wanted to.”
In an article published in one of the most read tabloids in the U.K., it was claimed that “Turkish surgeons can operate in a garage if they wanted to.” It is easy to discover with a simple Google search that this is as ridiculous as it is untrue. Even so, we still wanted to hear from an experienced professional in the clinical research field, the Director of Mira Projects, Sayeste Bibin.
Mr Bibin says: “In Turkey, operating room conditions and surgical practices comply with the patient health safety and universal protocol determined by the World Health Organization (WHO). The General Directorate of Health Services has the power to authorize and license health institutions and organizations, and to cancel these permits and licenses temporarily or indefinitely when necessary.
Private hospitals can only operate with the permission and/license they receive from the administration according to Article 355 of the Presidential Decree. In addition to that, private hospital requirements were also taken under control with the Private Hospitals Regulation legislation, there is a specific article about the operating rooms in this regulation. Hospitals are frequently inspected by the Ministry of Health Inspection Board.”
Turkey has robust regulations when it comes to licensing premises for medical use. But it also has robust regulations regarding malpractice insurance. One of the claims made in the British media was that Turkish surgeons do not need insurance to practice their profession. This is entirely false. By law, all doctors must have insurance in Turkey. This is called “compulsory financial liability insurance” for cases of medical malpractice and it provides pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages while also covering the litigation expenses of doctors, dentists and specialist chambers working in private or public health institutions and organizations.
Get real, reliable Information!
It is not always easy to pick through real information about medical treatment in the media because quite often competitors give biased views or the tabloid media feeds into prejudices. Any medical treatment decision must be made by a well-informed patient, so each individual must do their homework very thoroughly, keeping the focus on respectable sources. This more than often is not the media.
A medical tourism agency is your best bet! We have done the research and have a number of Plastic Surgeons and hospitals and can provide patients with a wealth of information. My advice is to double-check the information that is provided, ie the surgeons information on Google, social media and to ask the questions! Not all agents are as reliable and trustworthy as we are and by asking these questions you will quickly find this out!
🕸Our website is here to check it out: https://niptuckholidays.com/
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It’s the word-of-mouth successes that draw people into Turkey to get the cosmetic treatment they need. If you know anyone that has had cosmetic surgery abroad ask for their recommendations of who they went through!
There is also a considerable amount of recent statistics available about medical care in Turkey, with its medical faculties joining the club of the 500 best universities in the world, Turkey has no shortage of well-educated medical staff.
There are highly qualified surgeons and full-fledged hospitals are some of the reasons why medical travelers prefer Turkey in Istanbul or Antalya. In Turkey there are nearly 50 medical facilities that are accredited by the Joint Commission International, of which over 90% are hospitals. It ranks third among Junior Chamber International (JCI) accredited hospitals worldwide.
In the past two decades, the number of accredited hospitals specializing in cardiology, transplants, plastic surgery and advanced oncotherapy has grown exponentially. JCI is a nonprofit health accreditation organization based in the United States and known as the Gold Stamp globally in medical care. It is the top criteria for medical travelers.
Turkey invests heavily in its health system.
Statistics estimate that the total health care expenditures in Turkey will reach TL 233 billion ($14.23 billion) by 2020. Health care spending increased exponentially from 2000 to 2020, especially in the last five years, where it more than doubled since 2015. Turkish hospitals, particularly private hospitals, have seen one of the most substantial growth rates among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries in the past decade. All the hospitals are regulated and controlled by the Ministry of Health regardless of whether they are public or private.
Another essential criteria in assessing quality health care is patient satisfaction. Research firm Ipsos reported in a 2021 survey that “32% of Turkish individuals rated the quality of their health care as very good or good. Among the high-income countries like Germany, France and the U.K. this figure is 39%, 47% and 52%, respectively. According to the findings of a previous survey done by Ipsos, the percentage of Turkish citizens who trust the health care system in their country to provide them with the best treatment is 43%. This percentage is also 43% in the United States and 45% in Germany.”
Remember- The onus to make an informed decision lies with the patient.
The onus to make an informed decision lies with you- the patient. As an agent it is our responsibility to provide you with information and recommendations based upon your inquiry, within your budget. We have spent years working within the medical tourism industry globally to find the best surgeons and hospitals for our clients. However at the end of the day, the best surgeon, clinic and hospital for your specific needs requires that you do your research before making a decision, just as it does in your home country. There are problems with regulations in the U.K. when it comes to cosmetic procedures, as their is in Australia. So it’s important to be aware of this and do your research. I am more than happy to provide information and answer questions!
In Australia there is a big push for an overhaul of the cosmetic surgery industry with the Medical Board of Australia (AMA) launched an independent review of the regulation of health practitioners in the cosmetic surgery industry in response to the uncovering of dangerous and unregulated practices that the health regulator said raises ‘significant patient safety concerns’.
Since then there have been a number of practitioners banned from performing cosmetic surgery and losing their medical licence after poor quality practices in the cosmetic surgery industry. There was a very high profile joint investigation between Four Corners, The Age and Sydney Morning Herald It revealed revealing disturbing surgical practices at some of Australia’s popular cosmetic surgery clinics.
A class action against a former celebrity cosmetic surgeon and four associates has been filed by patients who say they have suffered injury and losses from cosmetic surgery. This is just one of many cosmetic surgeons in Australia with poor practices and providing sub-standard and results for patients.
In the U.K. there are no regulations around Botox and filler treatments, which means the actual treatment can be performed by anyone with or without training. The U.K. Government like the Australian has plans to tighten the regulations but nothing has been done yet. In Turkey, there are stricter regulations regarding non-surgical cosmetic treatments. Only aesthetic surgeons, dermatologists and specialist doctors can administer Botox and derma fillers.
For more invasive surgical procedures in the U.K., patients need to be extra vigilant because regulations are dysfunctional. A very worrying report by the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death found that nearly three-quarters of clinics in the sector in the U.K. operate effectively unregulated, adding that eight out of 10 providers who offer complex surgeries like breast reductions “do not perform these anywhere near enough to maintain an appropriate skillset and that a third do not even allow patients a ‘cooling off’ period when they book procedures.” The report added that less than half of operating theaters were properly equipped to perform surgery and one in 10 of the clinics actually ceased to exist between being identified and being approached.
For more invasive surgical procedures in the U.K. patients need to be extra vigilant because regulations are dysfunctional. A very worrying report by the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death found that nearly three-quarters of clinics in the sector in the U.K. operate effectively unregulated, adding that eight out of 10 providers who offer complex surgeries like breast reductions “do not perform these anywhere near enough to maintain an appropriate skillset and that a third do not even allow patients a ‘cooling off’ period when they book procedures.” The report added that less than half of operating theaters were properly equipped to perform surgery and one in 10 of the clinics actually ceased to exist between being identified and being approached.
Neither at home nor abroad, patients cannot be complacent about making decisions about their health. Here is a list of things to check before you go ahead with any procedure, anywhere:
✅The medical education and degree of the surgeon
✅Professional credentials including licensing
✅Specialization degree, license and certifications
✅Fellowships or post-graduate training courses they received
✅Special training courses they underwent related to the procedures they offer
✅Previous and current hospital or clinical employment history
Everyone has the right to ask the necessary questions and request information when it comes to their medical needs, and no qualified surgeon or doctor would be offended to be asked these questions.
*This story was initially written by a freelance reporter in London with changes made in writing for the Blog by myself- Claire Licciardo.
Are we witnessing the end of the BBL era?
New photos of Khloe Kardashian flood social media looking THE BEST she has ever looked with a smaller derriere and very thinner, fitter bod.
TikTok is celebrating a possible cultural shift away from the Brazilian butt lift aesthetic.
All eras eventually come to an end. But is it’s demise isn’t necessarily a good thing?
It’s hard to believe how much time has passed since Vogue dubiously ushered in “the Era of the Big Booty” in 2014 (and even more so since the peach emoji became shorthand for a desirably peachy bum in 2010). In the years gone by, the number of Brazilian butt lifts (BBLs) globally performed has grown by 77.6%, propelled in no small part by an army of uber-famous women with ever-growing, metamorphosing behinds made famous by none other than the above mentioned Kardashians. Anyone remember when unflattering photos of Kim’s butt were published earlier this year, they quickly went viral in 2017?
Photos of Kim Kardashian’s very famous backside made headlines all over the world after she was snapped during a candid moment on a girls’ holiday. Most people were stunned to see the asset (sorry) in all it’s natural glory — i.e. with cellulite — and it seemed to suggest that the smooth version we’ve seen in photos before now may have been digitally edited.
Or do you remember when she broke the internet when Kim K’s butt got her own magazine cover?
That celebrity effect has inevitably trickled down to our own social media feeds too. A casual scroll through Instagram will often present you with endless examples of the BBL influencer aesthetic; posts of women posing with a perfectly round bottom that takes centre-stage like an object in its own right, matched with an impossibly cinched waist and small breasts.
Sponsored ads ( much like ours) for seemingly easily accessible BBL surgeries are common on both Instagram and TikTok, while #BBL on the latter platform has 3.9 billion views and is proliferated with videos selling faja body shapers (padded shapewear for women that gives the illusion of a small waist and larger behind).
But all eras eventually come to an end, and the BBLs retirement is being helped in no small part thanks to TikTokers celebrating that, women especially, no longer need to feel inadequate about their lack of voluptuous behinds, especially since a series of recent pictures of Kim and Khloe Kardashian have cropped up with what appears to be a dramatic reduction to their famous bums.
If not a removal of their implants, there is definitely a smaller implant and a buttock lift (esp for Kim) with the trend very similiar to what happened to breast implants trends and the breast implant era!
The “BBL Effect” is one of TikTok’s biggest trends this year with the hashtag having 202 million views. Started by @antonibumba, the trend pokes fun at the BBL-influencer aesthetic, portraying those who get the cosmetic surgery as having a ludicrously self-important, main character energy. There’s also been a decry of “BBL fashion” in the form of growing discontent over cut-out style garments that are practically impossible to pull off on a non-surgically enhanced body. But there’s also been a recognition of how out of hand the invasive trend has become.
Plastic surgery itself has roots partially in the racist and classist ideology of eugenics, a belief that the “genetic quality” of the human race can be improved by discouraging or stopping those deemed inferior from reproducing. Dr Renato Kehl, who founded the Eugenics Society of São Paulo in Brazil in 1918, approved plastic surgery to facilitate “the extinction of the black and the rainforest-dwelling races”.
Historically, beautification went hand in hand with prizing whiteness as the most desirable aesthetic. BBLs seemed to flip the script, with typically non-white phenotypes like big bums being celebrated. However, that celebration of curves was predominantly on the bodies of wealthy white women. As a result, the BBL has become an asset that generates racialised capital.
BBL surgery is also known for being a more dangerous procedure tat should only be performed by experperience Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeons- NOT Cosmetic Surgeons. Assessments are supposed to be undertaken prior to surgery for risk factors like being overweight, blood clotting disorders or any cardiovascular issues. During the procedure, patients run the risk of fat, which has been removed from other areas of the body, being injected into one of the deep blood vessels connected to the heart or lungs, resulting in cardiopulmonary collapse, which can cause infection, strokes or even death.
Surgeon Samuel Lin told Harper’s Bazaar: “the mortality rate from BBL is estimated to be as high as 1 in 3,000; this is greater than any other cosmetic surgery”. Viral plastic surgeon Emily Long has highlighted some of the dangers on TikTok. In some states in the Australia and US, Cosmetic Surgeons ie GPs and doctors can practice as “Cosmetic Surgeon’s” and take a “weekend course” to be qualified to administer BBLs. Inevitably, the cheapest surgeons are also likely those less reputable, increasing the chances of medical complications or botched results for the less wealthy.
It is, of course, impossible to dissect the BBL narrative without doing a deep dive of the Kardashian-Jenners, who are often considered the figureheads of the trend. Speaking to MJ – the creator of @kardashian_kolloquium, a TikTok account that demystifies the Kardashians through an academic lens – they speculate why the BBL trendsetters might also be bringing big butts to a close. “We don’t know yet if it really is the end. We don’t have enough data yet,” she disclaims, but “they are ageing and will commodify themselves in different ways.” MJ acknowledges that even super-influencers remain vulnerable to patriarchal ideas of female expiration dates.
MJ further argues that “extreme plastic surgery is inherently a gesture of economic power” and for celebrities “their newly enlarged butts became the perfect display of excess”.
There’s also a paradox here. For many women, the idea the BBL era might be ending is cause for both celebration and anxiety. For those of us with curvier bodies, the rise of the BBL aesthetic initially came with a relief at not having to live up to the stick-thin body championed in the 2000s. A trend that for many created a dysmorphic view of teen girls bodies and a perpetual drive to lose weight that continued into adulthood.
While the BBL style was in itself still out of reach, it paved the way for a self-acceptance of natural curves, no doubt at the expense of other women then feeling more inadequate about their bodies. Ultimately, liberation from these trends requires a dismantling of the notion of body standards completely.
Whilst we don’t yet know whether the sun is finally setting on the BBL era, there is one thing we can be sure of: we are very far off from living in a world where race, class, and gender dynamics don’t heavily influence who can profit and who loses in the marketplace of beauty standards, and even further away from living in a world where female body types are not commodified at all.
Original story with some editorial changes was published in BEAUTY by Banseka Kayembe on 23 December 2021