The Kardashian silhouette, celebrating a more hourglass shape, has long-since replaced the worrying size zero trend of the early aughts.
However, for those of us not born that way, the ideal Instagram-era figure is equally unattainable, and many methods of faking curves can be dangerous.
Waist training, which sees users attempt to redistribute fat by wearing a steel-boned corset, has not only been debunked by the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery as an “ineffective way to slim down”, but the practice has, unsurprisingly, been linked to organ damage, oxygen deprivation and digestive issues[1].
Then there is the Brazilian butt lift, affectionately known as the BBL.
A form of fat transfer, the BBL has a notoriously high kill rate with one in 3,000 procedures resulting in death[2]. Nevertheless, the procedure is the fastest growing cosmetic surgery in the world.
According to market research and consulting agency Fact.MR, the global autologous fat grafting market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 10% from 2021-31, with breast augmentation via fat transfer expected to surge in popularity. Indeed, Fact.MR expects breast augmentation to hold over 45% of the fat grafting market share.
With a clear demand from consumers for methods of re-moulding their bodies, the cosmetics industry has recently unveiled less invasive, non-dangerous alternatives.
“In a context where self-image is more important than ever, with social media at its peak and aesthetic surgery growing globally, consumers are increasingly asking for kinder alternatives to enhance their contours,” confirms Leyre Cueva, Product Manager at Barcelona-based cosmetic ingredients maker Provital.
Plump it up
Launched at in-cosmetics Global 2022, Provital’s Sculpup is an aesthetic-surgery inspired, non-invasive body cosmetic solution. The active pro-adipogenic ingredient, based on blackberries, enhances the volume and firmness of the bust and buttock areas.