MELANIE WHITING
There is no denying some consider Kylie Jenner, 18, and the youngest member of the Kardashian family, a role model for young women.
Earlier this year, the world was shocked by images of young people artificially ‘plumping’ their lips using different at-home methods as part of the Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge.
The challenge involved young girls and boys uploading photos to social media of their DIY plumped lips, emulating Kylie Jenner’s ‘look’ with sometimes disastrous results.
Recently, the star admitted to having lip fillers, however cosmetic experts believe she has undergone other procedure’s including facial fillers and jaw-reshaping.
Brisbane reconstructive and aesthetic plastic surgeon Dr Paul Belt, has not treated Ms Jenner, and warns young women against emulating Kylie Jenner’s look with fillers and other plastic surgery.
Dr Belt says young celebrities like Ms Jenner who have potentially had fillers could influence other young women to have similar procedures.
He says young women already have natural facial volume and should not need injectable fillers.
“If you’re adding volume to someone who’s already got a reasonable amount of volume, then there’s the potential you’ll overdo it and make them look somewhat alien,” he says.
“I think it sets a pretty dangerous precedent particularly in Kylie Jenner’s case where she denied that she’d had anything done, and she said ‘ what I have is natural’. Therefore it is creating an unattainable goal for other girls to potentially look like she does….”
Dr Belt says young celebrities like Ms Jenner who have potentially had fillers could influence other young women to have similar procedures.
“…They are trying to emulate a role model with an unrealistic aesthetic outcome, which really isn’t natural and if anything, is overdone,” he says.
In Queensland it is illegal to perform any aesthetic procedure on a minor under the age of 18.
Dr Belt says he would not administer injectables to 18 year-olds for purely aesthetic reasons.
“… It would be pretty bad for me to be giving injectables to anybody of that sort of age demographic to be honest, I think that’s true for most practices,” he says.
“But there probably are some unscrupulous operators out there who will potentially administer those treatments to that age group.
“ … There are some patients who are incredibly pushy, and they will shop around until they find a practitioner willing to administer whatever treatment they are seeking.”
18 year-old Ellanor Warner is a big fan of the Kardashian’s and says most young women her age idolise Kylie Jenner.
“When you ask adolescents their three biggest worries, body image is usually one of those top three in addition to having friends and caring about family,”
“Her lips, and her ‘selfies’ that she always posts [on social media], everyone’s just obsessed over her looks,” she says.
Ms Warner says her idols, the Kardashian’s and Jenner’s have not influenced her to change her looks, but says she understands why Ms Jenner would opt for surgery.
“I don’t necessarily agree with it, but I understand it. If me or any of my friends were in the spotlight, or getting jobs 24/7 I would want to find a way to do it as well.”
Professor of Applied Psychology at Griffith University Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck says body-image remains an issue for many young people due to the media’s focus on appearance.
“When you ask adolescents their three biggest worries, body image is usually one of those top three in addition to having friends and caring about family,” Prof Zimmer-Gembeck says.
“With the media now, it portrays even more a stereotypical image for women and men than it ever has before.”
She says parents who are concerned about their child’s body image should seek professional help for them and look out for signs of poor body image.
“Look for things like obsessions, obsessive looking in the mirror, camouflaging of the body, changes in mood and changes in friendships.”
If you or anyone you know needs help, please contact SANE Australia on 1800 18 7263, or for those aged between 12 and 25, Headspace on 1800 650 890.