​Emily Ratajkowski's Belly Button Triggers Very, Very Weird Plastic Surgery Trend

So, you know how you thought the state of affairs in the world had reached peak ridiculousness? What with all the many Kardashians having babies and KFC chicken shortages and teenage boys claiming that they lay eggs?

That is, of course, until you find out about the latest plastic surgery trend, which involves modifying your belly button. That's right, the body part that you've given less than no thought to is now the subject of the latest thing we're supposed to feel insecure about.

via GIPHY

I guess we shouldn't really be that surprised, given the world of cosmetic surgery has also brought us such things as tummy tucks, body contouring, facelifts, eyelid lifts, brow lifts and even neck lifts. Not forgetting nose jobs, of course, where surgeons literally break your nose and whittle cartilage and bone down before reshaping it. No thanks.

Dr Matthew Schulman, a board-certified plastic surgeon, has claimed that the number of belly button surgeries he's had to perform has doubled over the past five to six years.

"We've become a much more image-oriented society," Schulman told the Daily Mail.

Instagram/@emrata

"People are more aware of their bodies on Instagram... and they understand now that there's a way to make their belly button's look better."

He said he currently performs 12 to 15 of the procedures each month, and attributes the rise to social media - and to the fact that people are now realising they can do pretty much anything they like to their bodies.

Schulman also explained that the ideal belly button is an oval shape that's vertically orientated as it makes the torso look longer and the abs look leaner - yep, a lot like the one belonging to a certain Ratajkowski.

Darren Smith, another board-certified surgeon from New York, also told Allure that he is seeing 'an increase in patient interest in belly button aesthetics'.

According to Smith, no matter what type of belly button someone has, people can always make theirs better.

He said: "Belly buttons that are 'too large' can be made smaller by removing extra belly button skin and tightening the bordering abdominal skin around the belly button.

"Belly buttons that are 'too small' are a little more difficult to deal with but can potentially be improved by removing some of the surrounding abdominal skin and gently stretching the belly button tissue to reach the enlarged border caused by removing the abdominal skin."

Topics: Celebrity, Cosmetic Surgery, Plastic Surgery

Jess Hardiman

Jess is a journalist at LADbible who graduated from Manchester University with a degree in Film Studies, English Language and Linguistics - indecisiveness at its finest, right there. She also works for FOODbible and its sister page Seitanists, which are both a safe haven for her to channel a love for homemade pasta, fennel and everything else in between. You can contact Jess at [email protected].

@Jess_Hardiman