Beauty standards have always been obnoxious, especially for one gender. Whether it's Chinese preferring dainty and small feet or a practice in Myanmar where women wrap a coil around their neck to make it appear long, there is no end to the list. For centuries, women have suffered, undergone surgeries, and worn tight clothes, especially corsets that reportedly led to breathing issues among European women.
The ideal measurement is defined by 36-24-36, where the bust and back should be voluptuous and the waist should be tiny. One would think that these examples are so 20th century, but we still see actors and models starving themselves to fit into an uncomfortable dress.
Take, for example, Kim Kardashian for the Met Gala 2019. She donned a body-hugging dress that was extremely tight around the waist, and videos surfaced in which she was struggling to walk. In another video, she said, "Wish me luck, I won't be able to pee for about four hours."
Kim Kardashian in a body-hugging dress for the Met Gala 2019. Photo: Manfred Thierry Mugler/ Instagram
Barbie Waist Surgery Carries Considerable Risks
Moulding yourself to fit into an 'ideal' body type went out of hand in 2017, as a new approach, called the Barbie waist, emerged in Russia. A doctor decided to do a procedure in which he removed the 11th and 12th 'floating' ribs, completely or partially, to reduce the waist size. Before you think that it might be ethical, Dr Kazbek Kudzaev, the innovator from Vladikavkaz, Russia, said in an interview that it was a "mutilating surgery" that goes against the primary principle of medicine: Do no harm.
Dr Alfredo E. Hoyos and his colleagues wrote a medical paper, 'Waistline Aesthetic Slimming by Puncture and Parallel Approach for Rib Remodeling Procedures', in which they mentioned that this operation carries "considerable risks" and can have a "significantly detrimental effect on lungs and respiratory functions."
Barbie waist surgeries are inspired by dolls and aim to reduce the waistline by more than 3 inches. Photo: Unsplash
What Is A Barbie Waist, And How Is It Achieved With Surgery?
If you have seen a Barbie, you would know that it has a flat stomach and a tiny waist. The term has derived from there and promotes a person to achieve unrealistic beauty goals. By getting ribs removed, a woman can achieve a 'perfect hourglass figure.'
In 2017, doctors used to begin the surgery by marking incisions on the bottom left and right ribs. They would manoeuvre the bones with a drill, bend them until one side snaps in a greenstick fracture. From this point on, the patient is asked to wear a tight corset for two months or until the ribs fuse into the new form, a waistline reduced by approximately 9 cm or 3.5 inches.
Patients have to wear corsets after the surgery to help the bones get into shape. Photo: Freepik
Barbie Waist: Cost, Recovery Time, Result, And Should You Get It?
While it's your body and your choice, many experts will tell you that there is absolutely no medical need to get this surgery done. Some doctors, who prefer to call this surgery 'sophisticated and tidy', might agree and guide you through the lengths and breadths of the incisions and after care; there is 100% no need to bend your bones and reduce your waistline using this method.
Dr Hoyos remembered watching a video in which a doctor was performing this surgery on a patient who was using her phone throughout and didn't feel any pain, because she was under local anaesthesia. The expert said that since 2017, this technique has been modified and made safer, faster, more consistent, and less painful.
The New York Times has quoted Dr Hoyos mentioning that, on average, a rib modelling procedure can cost around $8000. It takes only 10 minutes and requires the patient to wear a corset for 12 weeks, while reducing the waistline to 8-12 cm. He suggested that a woman in her 60s might not be the right candidate for this surgery, but someone in their 30s or 40s can get the procedure done on them.
The only question: Why do it if it is not needed medically? You can achieve a contoured and slim body (if that is a part of your fitness goals) by exercising and eating healthy. Doctors might call it a "paradigm shift", but it just seems like another way to reinstate the idea that tiny, slim, and smaller waists are 'ideal' or maybe 'desirable.'
In 2025, when we are fighting for body positivity, this medical 'breakthrough' is nothing but a way to fuel body image issues among people who struggle with body dysmorphia.