Is Kylie Jenner's surgery revelation a setback for beauty standards?
Even then, celebrities often share less invasive procedures (Ariana Grande admitting that she previously had lip fillers and Botox), offer medical justification (Zac Efron saying his newly chiseled features were necessitated by a jaw injury) or caveat their decision with regret (Bella Hadid telling Vogue she wished she had 'kept the nose of my ancestors').
So, when 'Keeping up with the Kardashians' star Kylie Jenner detailed her breast augmentation on TikTok this week, it was not just the specificity that surprised fans — it was the jubilant tone and casual, almost offhand manner with which she did it.
Responding to a direct request from content creator Rachel Leary ('please can you just tell me/us/anyone that's interested, what it is you asked for when you had your boobs done?' Leary had implored in a video), Jenner unexpectedly replied with the implants' exact size, type and placement, as well as the Beverly Hills surgeon responsible.
'445 cc, moderate profile, half under the muscle!!!!! silicone!!! garth fisher!!! hope this helps lol,' she commentedwrote in a comment, which has since been deleted.
In some quarters, Jenner's frankness was celebrated as the act of a 'girl's girl' (which is, incidentally, the name that her multi-million-dollar company, Kylie Cosmetics, gave to a shade of lip plumper). 'The people's princess for real,' read one reply on TikTok. 'This is why she's for the girls,' wrote another user.
Being open about body modification makes total sense to me in this day and age… (But) beauty imperatives aren't victimless. They teach us to internalize our external appearance as our worth.
Elise Hu, author of "Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty Capital"
The beauty mogul was also praised by several fashion publications for her apparent openness. Harper's Bazaar heralded a 'new era of plastic surgery transparency,' with the magazine's beauty director Jenna Rosenstein contending that celebrity secrecy is 'gatekeeping the names of reputable, trustworthy plastic surgeons.'
Jenner follows in the footsteps of her own mother, Kris, whose representative last month reportedly took the unusual step of confirming that the star's much-hyped facial transformation (where she appeared to reverse age by decades) was the work of plastic surgeon Dr. Steven Levine. Various other stars have, in this age of bare-all social media, gone public about not only what they've had done, but who carried it out — from Kelly Ripa shouting out her dermatologist (while getting Botox injections) to Amy Schumer publicly thanking the doctor who performed liposuction following her pregnancy. In 2021, fashion designer Marc Jacobs documented his facelift recovery, complete with blood-stained post-op selfies, on Instagram.
For better or worse, Jenner's frank revelation further chips away at the surgery taboo. But some critics see her comment as an overly flippant endorsement of an invasive procedure that can lead to illness or infection and has been linked to BIA-ALCL, a form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (a cancer of the immune system). Breast augmentations are on the rise in the US: The country's surgeons carried out over 300,000 of the procedures in 2023, up from 212,500 in 2000, according to the latest data from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. But so, too, are breast implant removals, which jumped 9% in 2023 alone.
Indeed, Jenner has previously expressed regret about getting implants. 'I had beautiful breasts. Just gorgeous. Perfect size, perfect everything,' she said on a 2023 episode of 'The Kardashians,' recounting the breast augmentation she underwent before the birth of her daughter Stormi in 2018. 'And I just wish, obviously, I never got them done to begin with.'
According to Elise Hu, author of 'Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty Capital,' Jenner's recent admission reflects 'how body modification has become normalized.'
'Being open about body modification makes total sense to me in this day and age, because I understand it as part of a larger culture in which good looks lead to social and economic capital, and 'working hard' means working hard to change your appearance to whatever fits the conventional norm,' said Hu, a former NPR bureau chief in South Korea (where an estimated one-fifth of women have undergone cosmetic surgery), over email.
Jenner's transparency may nonetheless serve to reinforce unrealistic — or for many women, unaffordable — beauty standards, Hu added: 'Beauty imperatives aren't victimless. They teach us to internalize our external appearance as our worth, and in hyper capitalism, offering specific doctors to see or amounts of silicone to buy (and) situate our looks as a matter of choice and resources — that if you have enough money, you can buy an external look that we've (wrongly) equated to worthiness.'
'It also problematizes the bodies whose boobs aren't just right or don't 'fit' one way or the other,' Hu added. 'Kylie offering a 'how to' for her breast augmentation is part of the way visual and beauty industries create a market for 'solving' whatever they've problematized about our bodies.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Vogue
26 minutes ago
- Vogue
What Is 'the Ick'? The Truth About Instant Disgust in Dating
If you spend time on social media, watch shows like Love Island, or are currently in the dating pool, you're probably well aware of the concept of 'the ick.' That sudden feeling of disgust towards a person you're seeing can come out of nowhere—and, inexplicably, it's usually brought on by something totally trivial. To wit, here are just a few of the many 'icks' I've recently come across on TikTok: Doing the wave at a baseball game. Hopping over a puddle. Sampling ice cream from a tiny spoon. Starting a lawnmower. Getting off a chairlift. Running for a bus. Using a baby voice while petting a dog. Saying 'whoopsie.' Yes, all of these things are completely normal. And, yes, every single one of us has done or probably will do one of these things at some point in our lives. But that's the thing about the ick: It doesn't really make a lot of sense. As Morgan says on Nobody Wants This, 'You can't fight the ick.' Instagram content This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from. Or… can you? Conceptually, the ick might seem silly—even kind of mean—but experts say there could be more to it than meets the eye. Below, a look at the psychology behind the ick—and what to do if you find yourself in its terrible throes. What is the ick? The ick can best be described as a sudden, internal vibe shift; it's the moment when your desire for a potential paramour evaporates and is quickly replaced by total disgust. It's not just a tiny twinge, either—it's a full-body cringe. 'The feeling is real, visceral, and hard to shake,' says Matt Hussey, an integrative therapist based in London. While the ick can certainly be brought about by something kind of gross—like, not changing one's bed sheets enough, or wiping greasy hands on one's pants—more often than not, the inciting incident is relatively innocuous: wearing a certain kind of shoe, mispronouncing a word, sighing too loudly. 'To be an ick, it needs to be a 'normal' event that other people won't react to,' says Stockholm-based sexologist and relationship therapist Sofie Roos. For example, having bad breath or body odor isn't really considered an ick—almost everyone is turned off by those. A true ick is much more subjective. 'It's a personal micro turn-off that most people don't bother about,' says Roos.
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Common pilates act that everyone is guilty of doing at some point
An Aussie pilates instructor has called out an all-too-common exercise act that most of us are guilty of. Adelle Petropoulos, 30, teaches pilates full time and does four classes a week. After a recent class, the Melbourne woman took to TikTok to rant about something she sees in the studio all the time. 'If this ever happens in your pilates class, just stop moving. You've done your class, everyone's worked their little tushies off. The instructor put on harmonious music,' she said. 'Find your quiet, still space — that is not instructions for you to get up, take your straps off, and start cleaning your reformer.' She said all that can be heard throughout the quiet time at the end of the class are the sounds of cleaning spray and noisy personal items being bundled up. Petropoulos advised people to either leave before the quiet music or not come to the class at all, as it interrupts others who choose to stay. 4 An Aussie pilates instructor has called out an all-too-common exercise act that most of us are guilty of. photology1971 – Speaking to Petropoulos said that as an instructor, her job is to create the best 45-minute experience for every person in the room. 'When people start packing up before class ends, it disrupts that shared energy. It sends a message — intentionally or not — that the last few minutes don't matter, when in fact, they're often the most important: the wind-down, the breath work, the integration. Those moments are where the magic happens,' she told 'It's not just about etiquette, it's about respect — for the practice, the instructor, and most importantly, for the people around you who are still trying to be present. Everyone deserves that full experience.' 4 Adelle Petropoulos advised people to either leave before the quiet music or not come to the class at all, as it interrupts others who choose to stay. tiktok/@adellepetros She said she understood that most people didn't mean any harm by it, as they're just busy, but it can be incredibly 'disruptive' and 'pulls others out of the moment.' Petropoulos said most people agreed with what she said in the social media rant. Another action, from her perspective, that causes similar issues is using your phone in class. She mentioned that most people come in with great energy and respect for the space. 'Just a reminder that we're all human — no one's perfect! But if we can all stay present, support each other, and treat the space with care, it makes a huge difference. Pilates is about more than movement — it's a shared community-led experience, and when we all show up fully, the energy in the room becomes something really special,' Petropoulos said. Simon Ngo, from Flow Athletic, described Petropoulos' video as 'spot on and accurate.' He said while leaving during the cool down portion of the class at Flow Athletic, due to the relative intensity of the classes, it is quite rare it seems to be a fairly common occurrence in pilates in general. 4 'When people start packing up before class ends, it disrupts that shared energy. It sends a message — intentionally or not — that the last few minutes don't matter, when in fact, they're often the most important: the wind-down, the breath work, the integration. Those moments are where the magic happens,' she said. tiktok/@adellepetros 'I just feel like it's a 'what a shame' moment. It's as though you've gone to the effort of checking out the dessert menu but not ordered anything,' he said. 'Or more accurately, like you've ordered the dessert, it's arrived and you've decided to leave.' He said people should stick around for that part of the class, as it's part of it for a reason. 'If you don't start a class without a warm-up, why would you not finish with a cool down?' he said. 4 'It's not just about etiquette, it's about respect — for the practice, the instructor, and most importantly, for the people around you who are still trying to be present. Everyone deserves that full experience,' she continued. Somkiat – 'Otherwise, a class would have been advertised 5 minutes shorter. Plus, your instructors probably would have gone above and beyond to plan these Zen closing-out moments. 'As much as people are time poor and, rather because of it, these few minutes of slowing down and reconnecting with ourselves are the stress-buster and self-care everyone needs in these of world of being busy today.' He said in 2025, securing a spot in a pilates class almost rivals getting into the housing market so if you land a spot, 'stay for the full experience.'
Time Magazine
2 hours ago
- Time Magazine
We Are Drinking So Much Matcha That Supplies Are Running Out
Matcha tea, a powdered Japanese green tea, has become a cultural phenomenon in the West, so much so that its popularity has resulted in a global supply problem. Western consumers have thirsted for the health option in recent years, a trend skyrocketed by social media—especially through Tik Tok. At the same time, Japan has experienced a mass tourism rise in the post-pandemic years—in 2024, Japan welcomed a record-breaking 36.9 million international visitors, surpassing the previous record of 31.9 million in 2019 — leading to many mass tea companies and local vendors to report shortages of supply. Back in October 2024, two well-known matcha companies—Ippodo and Marukyu Koyamaen—limited and/or stopped selling certain kinds of matcha, citing short supplies. 'Dear customers, We have been receiving an unexpected high volume of orders during the past few months. Taking production scale and capacity into consideration, we regrettably announce that availability for all Matcha products, regardless size and packaging type, will be limited from now on,' Marukyu Koyamaen's website still reads. Matcha comes from the same plant that many different teas come from— the camellia sinensis. The camella sinensis leaves can be made into green tea, oolong tea, and black tea. Though matcha originates from China, it has become closely associated and rooted in Japanese culture. Matcha is a type of green tea, but the processing, form and taste differs significantly, and is made specifically from tencha, a shaded green leaf tea. Matcha also only makes up a small amount of Japanese tea production—just 6%—according to the Global Japanese Tea Association. Yet, the demand has skyrocketed. And as a result, prices have also soared. According to Forbes, the matcha market is expected to hit about $5 billion by 2028, an expected growth of more than 10% since 2023. Further, the Japanese agriculture ministry has reported that the 2024 tencha output was over 2.5 times higher than 2014. The question is whether increased demand, small farmers trying to meet this demand, and a crop that is heavily dependent on weather patterns can keep up, even as the spring matcha harvest attempts to make up for the shortages of the past year. This year, though, the Kyoto region of Japan, which accounts for a large percentage of tencha harvest, was hit with a hot and dry harvest season, say farmers in the area. In 2025, Zach Mangan, founder of Kettl Tea, a Brooklyn-based company specializing in high-quality teas imported directly from farms in Japan, called this year's harvest a 'high-quality but lower-yielding harvest' in a blog post in May of this year—the kind of harvest that will boost demand and lower availability, potentially raising prices even further. Read More: The Surprising Reason Your Groceries Are More Expensive According to the Global Japanese Tea Association, the average price for tencha in late April reached 8,235 yen per kilogram, which is 1.7 times higher than last year's average. And according to producers, that can only be expected to continue. 'Over the past year, demand for matcha has grown beyond all expectations,' Ippodo updates customers on July 18. 'Unfortunately, supply constraints are likely to continue.'
