The massive success of the movie “Barbie” may be inspiring some people to examine what their shoulders look like.
Yes, your shoulders.
#BarbieShoulders has garnered hundreds of thousands of views on Instagram and TikTok with posts claiming that Botox procedures will help people develop a straighter, slimmer-looking neck.
“It appears that Botox is being used to relax the trapezius muscle, allowing the posture to open up and change the contour of the muscle,” explained cosmetic surgeon Dr. Thomas Su. “It would flatten the muscle to create the longer appearance of the neck.”
Su said that while Botox is known to safely shrink and relax muscles, she urged people to review the latest “Barbie shoulders” trend with a grain of salt.
“The treatments may be safe, but they are not cheap, maybe as much as $2,000,” Su said. “You may need multiple treatments, and things don’t last forever.”
Take a look inside Barbie’s Malibu home, available to rent on Airbnb.
Next to the shoulders, #BarbieArms also appear to the envy of some women. Similar to the shoulder trend, social media posts claim that the combination of Botox and Cool Sculpting helps people develop leaner, Barbie-like arms.
The plastic surgeon said that while he understood the struggles many women have with arm fat, he was also skeptical about cosmetic treatment.
“You don’t have to be big to have problem arms,” said Su, who said the average woman has half a pound to a pound of fat on her arms. “But you don’t want to shrink your arm muscles. These are misguided attempts.”
Instead, Su recommended liposuction as an effective cosmetic procedure to achieve the look of Barbie shoulders and arms.
The procedures may sound outrageous to some, but Su predicted that there would be an increase in the number of people seeking procedures to look more like Barbie.
“From what I see, ‘Barbie Leg’ may be the next trend.”
