Lip filler. Plumping gloss. Lip flip. Injectables. Everyone is obsessed with securing a lush, new pout. Lip filler has officially reached a global market value of $1.45 billion, and is expected to continue rising over the next five years. This is fueled by social media and influencer trends, promising a quick fix for your self-esteem. But behind those full lips is a deeper cost, one tied to mental health and a social pressure to achieve this new “normal.”
Social media has become the new blueprint for attractiveness. Whether it be filters or celebrity selfies, it is clear that big lips are the new big thing. For young women, it can feel not like a choice – but an expectation. Almost like an entry ticket to being seen as attractive. In a society fueled by comparison, there is a growing pressure to curate appearances to be perceived well online. And, today, that means a trip to the doctor for some filler. As people, we love validation, and opting out of this trend feels like losing social currency.
All this does is fuel a constant loop of insecurities. Sure, it might be a quick fix to make you feel more confident in your smile – but then what? For some, it’s only a brief change before new appearance anxieties occur. Beauty ideals are always shifting, and subjecting yourself to this alteration only opens the door to more enhancements. This pressure to always look perfect has the ability to completely destroy any confidence and easily leads to issues of body dysmorphia. The price of new lips shouldn’t come at the cost of your mental health.
The normalization of physical enhancements is part of the problem. When influencers and clinics glamorize lip filler without addressing the emotional consequences, it blurs the line between choice and pressure. Insecurity, as a result, becomes a commodity for industries to turn into profit. The pressure you feel to adhere to a beauty trend is calculated by professionals wanting money. It has nothing to do with your current appearance being unattractive.
So before you chase the next beauty trend, ask yourself – is it worth it? Just because you see Alix Earle with big lips living your dream life, take a moment to reassess whether this is truly what you want or if you’re simply falling for a marketing trap.
