A Record Number of People Are Turning to This Taboo Surgery, Made Famous by the Kardashian Clan
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Lip surgeries are at an all time high in the U.S., according to a new report by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
In 2015, there were more than 27,000 lip implant procedures in the U.S., the highest number ever — and an increase of 48 percent since 2000. There were also more than nine million lip injection procedures using Botox and soft tissue fillers, an increase of 1,000 percent since 2000.
"Clearly, lips and the enhancement of the lip and pucker are on the rise," ASPS president Dr. David H. Song said in a media release. "It's very popular, and it's become something that patients are desiring more and more.”
Song added that the rise of the selfie — which everyone from celebrities to regular people take with their smartphones — could also play a role in the popularity of lip work.
"We live in the age of the selfie, and because we see images of ourselves almost constantly on social media, we're much more aware of how our lips look," he said, according to CNBC.
This news comes less than a year after Kylie Jenner famously displayed larger lips, which were the product of fillers.
The reality star made headlines last spring after she appeared to display fuller lips in photos and on TV. The then-17-year-old ultimately revealed that she got temporary lip fillers to deal with body image insecurities.
“I have temporary lip fillers, it’s just an insecurity of mine, and it’s what I wanted to do," she said during a May 2015 episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians. “I’m just not ready to talk to reporters about my lips yet because everyone always picks [my family] apart."
Her lips, however, had quite an impact on other people. Before she even admitted to getting lip fillers, young people everywhere joined in on the #KylieJennerLipChallenge on social media. The viral challenge required people to place their lips into small glasses or bottles and suck as hard as possible to temporarily enhance the size of their lips. The hashtag swiftly stirred up controversy though, as some young people reported suffering bruising and other injuries after participating in the challenge.
This isn't the first type of procedure someone from the Kardashian clan has inspired.
Jenner is famously related to Kim Kardashian, who entered the spotlight when "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" first aired in 2007 and is well known for having a substantial derriere, among other things. Kim Kardashian's butt has inspired multiple Facebook fan pages, and it has also apparently inspired many people to seek butt implant surgery.
Earlier this year, a report by ASPS revealed a consistent rise in butt implants, augmentation, lifting and shaping. The ASPS said at the time that butt lifts and implants were the fastest-growing type of plastic surgery in the U.S.
