While
some women are doing everything they can to get rid of extra weight, a larger
behind is so desirable in some countries that it's fueling a whole industry of
creams, surgery and padding.
2015 was
called "the year of the rear" by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
"In
some social circles it's like, 'You haven't had your butt done? What's wrong
with you?'", explained Dr. Stanley Okoro, a plastic surgeon
who works in Atlanta, Georgia, and Lagos, Nigeria.
When he's
in Nigeria every two months, Okoro said he's able to do four to six butt lifts
in a week. Each one usually takes six to eight hours, and Okoro is often booked
up until late. "Sometimes I'm in surgery until 1am. It's exhausting,"
he said.
Why the rear has grown
Dr. Okoro
says the biggest contributor to the rise in buttock surgery is without a doubt
social media.
"It
is a combination of increased popularity of Kim Kardashian, known for her ample
backside, as well as increased popularity of social media," said Dr.
Matthew Schulman, a plastic surgeon in New York City.
"The
pressure to look good is what's driving people," said Okoro. He said in
Nigeria, the massive film industry, commonly referred to as Nollywood, has
driven the demand for the perfect butt.
A growing
middle class has significantly contributed to the growth of cosmetic plastic
surgery -- once a forbidden industry -- in Nigeria and Ghana, added Okoro.
The
availability of smartphones in Africa and access to social media has also
fuelled the rise in cosmetic surgery, Okoro said.
Over the
past three to five years increased economic power and awareness of cosmetic
surgery has fueled the popularity of such procedures, said Dr. Ojochide Ebune,
a Nigerian surgeon and assistant secretary general of Nigerian Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and
Aesthetic Surgeons.
The
number of trained and certified plastic surgeons in Nigeria has grown in the
last five years, says Ebune, from 70 plastic surgeons five years ago to around
100 now.
"The
prosperity of patients is starting to increase. In a few years, it [cosmetic
surgery] will be a mainstay in Nigeria and parts of Africa," said Ebune,
adding that the demand mostly comes from more cosmopolitan cities such as Lagos
and Abuja.
In
South Africa, in a
suburb in Johannesburg, "Surgeon and Safari"
helps clients facilitate their cosmetic procedures, and perhaps go on safari
too.
Many
clients come from abroad, said owner Lorraine Melvill, who started back in 2000
and told CNN there is an emergence of local Africans that chose to come to
South Africa for elective surgery.
"There
is quite a big market coming out of Angola, Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana. Their
economies are growing and therefore their middle classes are growing and... the
need increases," she said.
Less invasive options
For those
who can't afford surgery, there are cheaper alternatives in the form of pills
and creams.
 |
| A woman shows pots of cream though to help enhance bottoms. The cream's label says it's made of cod-liver oil, honey or shea butter |
Dr. Okoro
advises caution, though, as their contents can be unclear and their
effectiveness unproven.
The trend
in Africa is definitely on the rise, he said. "The same trend in Nigeria
[for butt lifts], we are seeing in other West African countries."
ASPS's
report in February showed that 15.9 million surgical and less-invasive cosmetic
procedures were performed in the U.S. in 2015, a two percent increase from
2014. Dr. Schulman says he saw the demand for butt lifts start five years ago,
and he has patients from all over the world. "I think this trend is here
to stay, at least for the near future."
Schulman
does warn about choosing an experienced and board certified plastic surgeon,
however, as many of his clients come to him for corrective surgeries after bad
results from other doctors.
His
advice: only select a surgeon who does six to eight of these procedures per
week, and can show over 100 of their own before and after photos.
Post a Comment