Plump lips are a hot trend trend that’s risen and influenced the beauty industry in the past year. Partly thanks to the youngest sister of the Kardashian-Jenner clan and Instagram queen, Kylie Jenner who admitted to having surgical procedures on her lips last year.
Following her confession, the 18 year old took the public’s response in her stride and launched a successful make up line including her infamous ‘lip kits’ which sold out within minutes after its first launch earlier this year.
However, despite her cosmetic procedure influencing her business, it also had an effect on the cosmetic surgical industry. Less than 24 hours after her confession, Dr Leah Totton of Dr Leah Clinics told The Independent said that her clinic had reported a staggering 70% increase in enquiries for the procedure. Olivia, 21 who works at a dentist surgery said that the surgery have considered to start doing the procedure due to its risen popularity to gain the fuller lips look.
It’s also had an impact on today’s beauty standards. Olivia shared “There’s now a pressure to look that way with it, especially with the influence of the photos you now see on Instagram that sets that as the new beauty standard. You can end up feeling insecure about yourself which I have at times”
Emily, 20 said “I think that it’s mostly a trend engaged in by white people who can plump their lips without facing the racial stigma that POC (People of Colour) do when they have naturally full lips” which highlights the issue the make up brand, MAC Cosmetics had to tackle earlier this year after they posted on their Instagram account of a photo of a black woman wearing their lipstick which ignited a trail of racist abuse such as “Holy n*gger lips, Batman! What is this color called?… Grape Drank?” and “black women will never be as beautiful as white women”.
Yaana, 20 said “I think most people over do it and it’s obvious that they’ve had them done… but that might be the point, who knows”
Even popular US teen magazine, Seventeen uploaded a video on their YouTube channel teaching young, teenage girls how to make their lips look bigger with make up to aspire to look like Kylie Jenner than embrace their natural features.
It’s a trend that’s likely to not make a departure any time soon but it does raise the question if this is more damaging to young women to reach another unrealistic beauty standard which can potentially damage their self esteem and negatively affect their body image.
Espire21 