Our obsession with beauty is becoming fatal

When I first heard that someone in the UK had died after undergoing a Brazilian butt lift (BBL), my first thought was that it was only a matter of time. In fact, I was surprised that it hadn’t happened sooner. Then I read that it was non-surgical. And that she was only 33 years old. That she had five daughters.
Alice Webb was taken to Gloucestershire Royal hospital on Monday (23 September) after becoming unwell; she died the following morning. According to the Gloucestershire police, she had undergone a “suspected cosmetic procedure” before becoming ill. A quickly deleted fundraising campaign to raise money for Webb’s family stated that she had undergone a non-surgical BBL, which sees fat or dermal filler injected into the buttocks with the aim of adding volume and creating a lifted effect.
We don’t really know any more details beyond that, except for the fact that two people have now been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter in relation to Webb’s death. Dane Knight, Webb’s partner, wrote on social media: “Want to say a heartfelt thank you to all family and friends that were here for us at our time of need, including all of the kind messages sent to my children and myself.” He also warned against any speculation about the tragedy, as well as any “unnecessary questions” being posed to Webb’s five daughters.
The whole thing is utterly devastating. And while I don’t want to comment on what may or may not have motivated Webb to get a BBL in the first place, or the fatal medical complexities that might have arisen after her procedure, I will say that this tragedy is a symptom of a society that has been so warped by unattainable beauty standards that it is literally killing people. It’s time to start taking it seriously.
BBLs have been around for a while, and have always been associated with high risks. They have increased in popularity since the 2010s, thanks largely to the prevalence of social media, as well as the impossibly honed and toned bodies of celebrities whose restrictive diet and exercise regimes are regularly plastered all over the internet. Another British woman, Melissa Kerr, died aged 31 after undergoing a surgical BBL in Istanbul in 2019, and Salford mum-of-three, Demi Agoglia, apparently died from a heart attack after the operation earlier this year, also in Turkey.
Not only are BBLs incredibly dangerous, they’re also inordinately expensive, usually costing thousands. Women are risking their lives and livelihoods for the sake of… what exactly? A more Instagram-friendly bottom?
I’m being facetious; it’s not about anything quite so vapid at all. I haven’t ever had a surgical or non-surgical cosmetic procedure, but I can understand why people would. I don’t even think the reasons have much to do with aesthetics at all, if you break it down.
It’s about wanting to feel like you fit in a world that is consistently trying to make you feel like an outsider. It’s that urge to feel accepted – to be good enough. Women have spent their lives being told what is and isn’t beautiful – be this size; wear this dress; have curves here but not there. Wouldn’t it be lovely to just pay a large sum of money to make all that noise go away? And yes, there might be risks, but wouldn’t the reward outweigh them?
Today’s beauty standards are out of control. Take one look on Instagram and you’ll understand why: the rise of filler, Botox, and other cosmetic treatments have been exponential over the last few years, to the point that people getting the same treatments have started to resemble one another.
Jia Tolentino even coined a term to describe the phenomenon: “Instagram face.” For a while, the term was lighthearted – a jovial reference to the absurdities of online beauty discourse. Now, unfortunately, that is no longer the case.
We can only hope that Webb’s death is the wake-up call people need to realise the severity of what’s really happening here – and that it doesn’t get even worse.