In recent years, a growing trend among celebrities and influencers has become visible. This recurrence is characterized by a particular set of facial features: tiny nose, full lips, sculpted face, and unnaturally smooth skin. This image has been dubbed “Instagram face,” and is becoming a concerningly common trait in celebrities today.
This trend raises the question: Has cosmetic surgery gone too far?
In older movies, actors and actresses had a wide variety of diverse features. Celebrities were praised for their uniqueness and individuality — it made them stand out. Now, celebrities too often have the same idealized features, which are unnatural and achieved through plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures.
This issue has become apparent in period pieces, like Bridgerton, a show set in the 19th century, where the recent season went so far as to feature actresses with very modern makeup, acrylic nails, and false lashes.
The issue with this lies not only in the historical inaccuracy, but also in the fact that it reinforces unrealistic beauty standards for viewers. The purpose of a period piece is to take viewers back to a different moment in time, and when it becomes increasingly obvious that the actors have an “Instagram face” – meaning they adhere to unrealistic modern beauty standards – the show’s purpose is diminished.
Besides the impact on period pieces, the expanding number of celebrities and influencers with the same features has given young women on the internet unrealistic ideas of “beauty.” While women should be allowed to do whatever they choose to their appearance, impossible looks that can only be achieved through surgery should not be normalized.
Instead, young girls should be encouraged to embrace their natural beauty and individuality.
Furthermore, this trend pushes women to partake in possibly dangerous procedures, solely for the sake of “attractiveness.” Women throughout history have always been urged to mangle themselves for looks, from the popularity of corsets to the ancient Chinese practice of foot binding. However, plastic surgery is new and more dangerous territory. The long-term effects of these surgeries could potentially be dangerous, especially when they are performed on young women.
Even things like “preventative botox” have become common and even encouraged in celebrities and influencers. Regardless of how effective or not this practice may be, age is not something that women should be afraid of. Continuing to promote an impossible standard of beauty — one that most aging women will never be able to achieve — is deeply harmful.
One recent, shocking example of an older celebrity getting plastic surgery is Kris Jenner, a 69-year-old woman, and her recent facial surgery. Jenner underwent a superficial musculoaponeurotic system facelift and a deep neck lift. Despite her age, the surgery made Jenner look extremely young, and it has sparked many positive reactions on the internet. Countless people posted videos on social media praising the surgery and even saying they planned to get it themselves.
This is nothing short of extremely worrying. Jenner’s surgeries do make her appear younger, but they are also pushing the narrative that aging is something negative. Additionally, Jenner has lost the features that make her unique, trading them in for the same inorganic face that so many celebrities share today.
If more and more women decide to change their appearance to fit conventional beauty standards, who knows how unattainable this standard will become. Individuality is what makes us beautiful, and to take this individuality away is detrimental to women’s confidence, freedom, and joy.
