The popularity of cosmetic procedures continues to grow, reflecting not only society’s changing beauty standards but also a voyeuristic fascination with the often grim realities of these transformations.
Haley Layne, a 28-year-old star of the British internet documentary series Hooked On The Look, has invested approximately half a million dollars in her quest for what she considers the “perfect body.” Despite undergoing 32 procedures, she estimates that at least ten more are necessary to maintain her desired appearance. “Once you get to this level, there’s never any stopping,” Layne confessed on the show. “You have to maintain [this look] for the rest of your life.”
Layne’s journey includes 13 breast surgeries in just two years, resulting in four emergency room visits. After nearly doubling her breast implant size from 650 to 1,200 cubic centimeters, her body struggled to adapt, necessitating reconstructive surgery to repair the damage. For context, the average breast implant size is typically between 300 and 400 cc. Nevertheless, Layne remains undeterred in her pursuit of larger breast implants.
Her appearance epitomizes Western beauty ideals, featuring long blonde hair, exaggerated J-cup breasts, and a curvy figure that contrasts sharply with her slim waist. This look mirrors the “slim thick” body type increasingly sought after by many women in the U.S., a standard that has roots in Black and brown body types. Layne’s image aligns with some of the most popular and rapidly growing cosmetic procedures in the country, including liposuction, breast augmentation, lip injections, and the now-mainstream Brazilian butt lift (BBL).
Yet, Layne’s appearance has also attracted ridicule and morbid fascination online. Critics label her surgical choices as delusional, deeming her body “too plastic” or “cartoonish.” Commenters often lament the loss of her natural features, suggesting she was “so cute and natural” before she went “too far.”
Layne is not alone in gaining notoriety for her plastic surgery choices. Reality television shows from the early 2000s, such as The Swan, Extreme Makeover, and Addicted to Beauty, helped normalize the concept of drastic plastic surgery transformations while reinforcing Eurocentric beauty standards. This trend eventually shifted towards a focus on the darker realities of such procedures, as exemplified by the enduring show Botched, which chronicles the efforts of Beverly Hills surgeons attempting to correct failed surgeries. Layne made a brief appearance in its sixth season.
Over its seven seasons, Botched has garnered a cult following, fueled by society’s fascination with plastic surgery failures. An online subculture has emerged, driven by a blend of revulsion and intrigue toward so-called “botched” surgeries, with figures like Layne becoming focal points for discussion.
This fascination is part of a larger phenomenon known as body horror, traditionally used to describe fictional works featuring grotesque imagery that elicits fear and reflects societal anxieties. Observers often express pity, fear, or derision when confronted with bodies altered by surgery, asking, “You paid money to look like that?” This dynamic reveals a discomfort with the pretense of artificiality more than the procedures themselves.
Over the last two decades, the stigma surrounding cosmetic surgery has diminished significantly. Celebrities have increasingly been open about their surgical enhancements, and social media platforms allow influencers to document their procedures in detail. As a result, more individuals are seeking cosmetic work; data from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons indicates that 18.4 million cosmetic procedures were performed in the U.S. in 2019, compared to 13.1 million in 2010. Advances in plastic surgery techniques and the rise of minimally invasive procedures like Botox and fillers have made it easier and more affordable for people to alter their appearances without major surgery.
Social media has played a pivotal role in this trend, amplifying certain physical traits and disseminating beauty ideals widely. As Anthony Youn, a plastic surgeon in Michigan, notes, “I think of it as the Kardashian-ization of our young people,” referring to the popularization of specific facial features such as high cheekbones and plump lips that many aspire to achieve.
The current standards of beauty differ markedly from those of the early 2000s. Desirable traits—often exaggerated and more accessible than ever—are driven by the abundance of images and information available online. However, a fine line separates normative beauty ideals, exemplified by figures like Bella Hadid, from those perceived as artificial, like Layne, despite both potentially investing significant amounts in their looks.
For many, the most undesirable outcome of cosmetic surgery, after death, is a “botched” appearance—an indication of a poorly performed procedure. This notion often reflects a deeper societal concern, with some speculating that such results mirror a person’s self-delusion.
Youn explains that “botched” can describe surgical complications or be a subjective assessment of a patient’s appearance. Someone may be content with their results, yet observers may label it as “botched” if they perceive it as excessive.
The term “botch” originates from the Old English word bocchyn, which initially meant “to repair.” Over time, it evolved to signify a clumsy repair job, a definition that has become associated with plastic surgery. This term is frequently used derogatorily within online communities focused on cosmetic surgery, where patients sometimes share their experiences with botched procedures to educate others.
On platforms like Reddit’s r/BotchedSurgeries, users discuss and share images of botched results, often categorized by various themes such as “extreme plastic surgery” or “lip filler migration.” This fixation on failed procedures can appear frivolous, contrasting sharply with the body positivity movement that dominates much of the internet discourse.
Observers often obsess over the notion of appearing “natural,” particularly among celebrities and influencers whose careers revolve around their looks. When it becomes evident that even the affluent can experience botched results, it confronts viewers with the reality that plastic surgery does not guarantee beauty. Maintaining an enhanced appearance often requires constant upkeep, which can lead to a transformation from beautiful to uncanny.
The fascination with the human body as a site of transformation and horror can be traced back to the 19th century, with early examples including Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. This genre has evolved to spotlight surgical procedures, particularly cosmetic surgeries, often depicting patients as victims of horrific violence inflicted upon them by rogue surgeons.
Xavier Aldana Reyes, a Gothic scholar, notes that surgical horror reflects postmodern anxieties about advances in medicine and the perceived loss of control over our bodies. The genre raises questions about individual agency and vulnerability in a society where beauty standards are often dictated by external forces.
Aldana Reyes emphasizes society’s simultaneous interest in and fear of the artificial, highlighting the concept of the “uncanny valley,” where the boundary between human and artificial blurs. “To what extent do we lose our sense of self in the process?” he asks.
Some modern works, like the 2012 film American Mary, invert this dynamic by portraying patients as empowered individuals who control their body modifications, moving away from the trope of the tragic victim.
While reality shows like Botched and Plastic and Proud strive to humanize their subjects, they often perpetuate voyeuristic tendencies. Viewers exhibit varying degrees of empathy for those seeking reconstructive surgeries compared to those opting for cosmetic enhancements deemed unnecessary.
Ultimately, this morbid fascination with plastic surgery and its consequences masks deeper societal fears: that people, especially women, are subjected to relentless pressures to conform to specific beauty standards, that our bodies are unruly and unmanageable, and that we share more in common with those we scrutinize than we might wish to admit.
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