Woman shows insane before and after of controversial Bali ‘Barbie Waist’ surgery
In a world of plastic surgery and cosmetic treatments, the 'Barbie waist' procedure might be one of the most controversial yet.
Society is increasingly obsessed with the way that people look and sadly the unrealistic body images you see on social media do little to inspire confidence in people's bodies.
This can often lead to issues such as body dysmorphia, where people are constantly trying to 'fix' what they perceive as 'flaws' within their own body, and sometimes that means going down the surgical route.
We've seen people sacrifice their ability to walk for over a year simply to try and get a few inches taller, or take weight loss drugs and suffer the side effects of those with the goal of losing weight in an often unsustainable fashion.
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However, in the case of Australian influencer Matilda Baxter, it was a trip to a Bali which saw her make headlines as she underwent a 'Barbie waist' surgery in her quest for an hourglass figure.
The 21-year-old has shown off the results of her procedure online and while she's delighted with the tiny waist now at her disposal, a picture from a just a few years ago highlights a pretty insane difference in how she looks.
If you weren't already in the know about what a Barbie waist procedure involves, well things have changed over the years, as while some folks used to literally get some ribs removed, now it seems to be more of a case of 'contouring your ribs' to help give off that hourglass look.
Matilda took to her Instagram stories recently to share an image of her when she was 18, where she was wearing a pink dress, before sharing an updated image of her in a crop top and corset which highlighted her new waist.
She wrote: "Anyone saying 2023 was better clearly can't afford the 2026 version of me. Get well soon."
Matilda certainly isn't the first to transform herself to try and look closer to a Barbie doll and she won't be the last, which seems to conflict directly with the messages that were promoted in the popular film.
The idea that she might have looked 'better' in the older photo seems to be the common consensus in her comments section however, with many concerned about her health.
"All I am seeing is the bones,' one person wrote, while another added: "Omg I remember when I looked like this. I was so sick."
"Please eat more, your ribs are freaking me out," said a third.
"I'm not here to negatively judge but more protein and carbohydrates are needed. Stay safe and look after your health people," someone else commented.
One user took aim at the unrealistic body images she is helping to promote, writing: "This is disgraceful, to portray an image and encourage other young girls or women to think it's normal to look like this."
Apart from the traditional risks of surgery which include infection and bleeding, the Barbie waist procedure can also come with serious implications such as deformities in the rib structure and pressure on internal organs, which could lead to issues like a collapsed lung and chronic pain.
As long as the Aussie influencer is feeling confident and healthy, there's an argument that she doesn't need to justify her decision to strangers on the internet, but some are still showing her support.
One user said: "Comments are NOT it. This woman is educated and makes her own informed choices. She is transparent AF! Don't like it? Roll on!'
Another commented: "You look so beautiful you should be a top model, Victoria's Secret!"
James Moorhouse