Controversial Kardashian Body Trends That Caused A Stir

The Kardashians are known for driving trends; that's just what they do. However, some of the trends they've started, or popularized, have stirred some controversy. From not being straightforward about plastic surgery to being accused of promoting unhealthy or unrealistic beauty standards, the Kardashians have dealt with their share of backlash, even as they've continued to be influential. For instance, some believe that the Kardashian-Jenners are responsible for the exponential growth in popularity of some plastic surgery procedures, like lip augmentation or Brazilian butt lifts, which, in 2018, were up 256% since the year 2000, per the 2018 Plastic Surgery Statistics Report conducted by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

In a 2023 episode of "The Kardashians," Kylie touched on the fact that she and her sisters had a significant impact on beauty culture, saying, "I just feel like we have a huge influence. What are we doing with our power?" She added, "I just see so many young girls on the internet now fully editing [photos of themselves]. I went through that stage, too, and I feel like I'm in a better place, but other people can instill insecurities in you."

Whether you're a Kardashian fan who follows their trends along with them or you're more interested in things like the Kardashian family's biggest makeup mistakes, the fact remains that, for better or worse, the Kardashians have a significant impact on beauty culture and body trends alike.

While there are plenty of body trends that might have been connected to being ultra-thin and potentially having an unhealthy body image, the thighbrow trend was lauded for being one of the few body-positive trends out there. Unlike other trends, like the thigh gap, which requires a certain level of thinness, just about everyone has a thighbrow, no matter their shape or size. If you don't know what a thighbrow is, it's the crease, or roll of skin, where your upper thigh and hip meet, and it can be seen when you're kneeling, sitting, or bending forward.

In 2015, Khloé Kardashian and Kendall Jenner posted on Instagram rocking their thighbrows in coordinating black-and-red one-piece swimsuits while on a yacht. Kylie Jenner got in on the trend, too, showing hers off in an Instagram selfie where she wore a strappy black swimsuit and layered necklaces. Even though the Kardashian-Jenners spearheaded the trend, they weren't the only stars showing off their thighbrows in their bikinis. Big names like Beyoncé and Rihanna showed off theirs, too.

While the thighbrow trend may have been body-positive, another Kardashian-Jenner-promoted body trend — yacht shoulders — is decidedly not. The term "yacht shoulders" was inspired by the slender shoulders and protruding collar bones that both Kylie and Kendall Jenner showed off while on a trip to Spain in the summer of 2024. The look seems to be all about appearing elegant and sophisticated. Showing off some yacht shoulders may not seem like a big deal, but according to some, this trend is far from harmless. Psychotherapist Cina Hoey said to Newsweek, "Like many of the trends the Kardashian family has sparked, the yacht-shoulders trend promotes unhealthy and unrealistic expectations of women's bodies."

Hoey went on to discuss the emotional impact that images of celebrities can have, saying, "There is a subtle but powerful mixture of shame and desire that is sparked immediately upon viewing a photo of a flawless celebrity." She also spoke of the reality of viewing these kinds of images, and the paths that they can lead you down: "What happens next is usually some unbalanced approach to getting these results quickly; harsh diets or workout routines, restrictive eating, and unhealthy relationships with food and your body. Once your unbalanced attempts fail (they always do), you blame yourself instead of the celebrity preying on your insecurities."

Although buccal-fat removal is not a new surgery — it dates back all the way to the 1930s, per The Cut — everyone was talking about it in 2022. From Bella Hadid to Chrissy Teigen, there were lots of celebs who were rumored to have gotten the cheek-slimming procedure, and Khloé Kardashian was one of them. The surgery is just what it sounds like: It involves removing fat from the buccal fat pad, which is an area located deep within the cheek. Some plastic surgeons say this face-slimming procedure can look good on certain face types. According to New York-based plastic surgeon Darren Smith, who spoke with CNN, it can work for "folks who just have a fuller face, that almost have a cherubic, round face, that might want to slim it out a little bit."

In 2022, Kardashian posted a series of selfies she'd taken over the years and sparked plastic-surgery speculation, especially since her most recent photos looked particularly sculpted. Even though Khloé Kardashian has had a stunning style transformation, she maintains that she's had minimal work done. In a 2021 "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" reunion episode, she opened up to host Andy Cohen about the plastic surgery she has had. "Everyone says, 'Oh my gosh, she's had her third face transplant,'" she said. "But I've had one nose job ..."

The Kardashians have long been influential, not just when it comes to specific trends or plastic surgeries, but also entire cultures and aesthetics. Over the years, the Kardashians have promoted things like plump lips, curvy body types, long acrylic nails, and cornrow hairstyles, all of which either originated in or have strong ties to the Black community. Some may see this as a coincidence, and view braids and cornrows as another part of Kim Kardashian's hair evolution. Others, however, feel that the Kardashian clan have been perpetrators of cultural appropriation. According to journalist Wanna Thompson who wrote about the topic in an X, formerly Twitter, thread, "They've been called out for cultural appropriation for a decade plus now, and it's no secret that they've adopted many styles that Black women or Black culture have created and made them more palatable" (via Time Magazine).

While speaking to i-D Magazine in 2021, Kim Kardashian opened up about some criticism she's received for wearing styles like cornrow braids, saying, "Obviously, I would never do anything to appropriate any culture. But I have in the past got backlash from putting my hair in braids and I understand that." She continued to add that her own ethnic roots influence some of her style decisions, saying, "I've definitely learned over time, and I've tried to pass that culture of learning onto my kids too, but then there's also a history of braiding hair in Armenia, and people forget that I am Armenian as well."

In 2015, Kylie Jenner launched Kylie Cosmetics, along with her lip kits, and her own plump lips. Jenner wasn't fully open about her overnight lip growth, though. At least, not right away. While speaking to Elle in 2015, she said, "When I got my lips done, I literally told no one! I didn't tell my best friend or even the guy I liked at the time. I really thought it was no one's business." She was also clear that she was honest about plastic surgery. "I never denied it because I always told my publicist 'no lip questions,' so no one ever asked me," she went on. "I never said I got them done, but I never denied it either. But people thought I was such a liar!"

Either way, many were inspired to plump their own pout, as there was a significant jump in lip injections when Jenner debuted her new look. It also started a (potentially dangerous) #KylieJennerchallenge on TikTok which involved placing a shot glass over the lips and sucking the air out to create a temporary pout, along with some bruising.

Since then, Kylie Jenner, who looks stunning with or without makeup, has opened up about her decision to get her lips done. Talking to Homme Girls in 2023, Jenner said, "Yeah, I love full lips and wanted full lips, but growing up I was always the most confident person in the room. I was the girl performing for everyone. I had my one lip insecurity thing, so I got lip filler, and it was the best thing I've ever done. I don't regret it. But I always thought I was cute."

For years, the Kardashian-Jenners have been all about showing off their curves, and the Brazillian butt lift became a huge trend, seemingly as a result. The Brazilian butt lift has been around since the 1960s, and originated in, of course, Brazil. While the procedure, which involves using liposuction to remove fat from one part of the body and inserting it in the buttocks, has been around for a while, it didn't become so popular in the United States until the 2010s, thanks in part, some think, to the Kardashian clan.

Despite speculation that all three Kardashian sisters plus Kylie Jenner have had Brazilian butt lifts, none of them have admitted to having the procedure done, or having any work done on their derrières. Kim Kardashian even famously had her rear X-rayed on "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" to prove once and for all that she didn't have silicone implants. "This is a really crazy request but my sisters have dared me to get an ass X-ray because of all the rumors it's not real. If I were to have a fake ass, wouldn't it be dimple free?" she said.

Even though whether or not the sisters have had the procedure is up for speculation, one thing remains clear: Brazilian butt lifts are risky. The University of California San Diego's associate clinical professor of plastic surgery M. Mark Mofid, M.D., discussed mortality rates of the procedure with MedPage Today, saying, "What we found was just absolutely jaw-dropping and shocking. We had determined that this was likely one of the most dangerous operations in the world, and certainly the most dangerous aesthetic procedure ever performed."

Along with having a full rear, there's another component to the Kardashians' trademark curves — having a nipped-in, super-snatched waist. Since 2014, Kim Kardashian has been promoting waist training, and openly talking about and modeling her waist trainers on her Instagram. She's also notably showed off an unbelievably snatched waist at big events, like the Met Gala. At the 2019 Met Gala, Kim donned a Mugler dress dripping with gems, that required wearing a corset. The reality star said in a Vogue behind-the-scenes video, "Okay, so Anna, if I don't sit down for dinner, now you know why." Addressing Vogue's editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, she continued, "I'll be walking around mingling, talking, but I cannot hardly sit. I can only like, half sit." In 2024, she spoke to Vogue about an even more extreme corseted Met Gala look: "I'll feel so snatched I won't even be able to communicate to you how snatched I feel."

Even though Kim Kardashian is all for a corset, hepatologist Jamile Wakim-Fleming, M.D., notes that corsets aren't a healthy way to achieve a snatched look. She says of waist-trainers to Cleveland Clinic, "As you're squeezing your belly, you're also squeezing your liver, kidneys, pancreas, and spleen. And as you're squeezing those organs, they start to shift and that can be very dangerous in the long run."

Of all the beauty trends the Kardashians could try out, this one may be the most surprising, and it's being open and honest about plastic surgeries. On "The Kardashians," Kylie Jenner surprised a lot of viewers by discussing her breast implant regrets and her wishes for her daughter Stormi, saying, "I would be heartbroken if she wanted to get her body done at 19. I wish I could be her and just do it all differently because I wouldn't touch anything."

Kourtney Kardashian was ahead of the trend when she also opened up about her own breast augmentation in 2011, revealing, "I've realized that I was made to look a certain way and I'm considering removing them" (via Page Six).

While some may be shocked that the Kardashian-Jenners would express regret about their procedures, let alone admit to getting them in the first place, others aren't so surprised about the sisters' new-found openness. Gender studies professor and author Meredith Jones noted that these kinds of discussions the Kardashians were having about plastic surgery have come at a time when a growing number of people are being more open about plastic surgery and beauty procedures in general. "The Kardashians have always said that they're mirrors for us," Jones said to Time Magazine. "They're kind of the quintessential performers of our beauty culture."

For the 2022 Met Gala, Kim Kardashian was going to extremes once again, but this time she was losing weight instead of wearing a tight corset. Kardashian lost 16 pounds in three weeks to fit into Marilyn Monroe's sheer dress. Speaking to Vogue, Kardashian ran down the list of measures she took to be able to fit into Monroe's dress. "I would wear a sauna suit twice a day, run on the treadmill, completely cut out all sugar and all carbs, and just eat the cleanest veggies and protein," she said. "I didn't starve myself, but I was so strict."

While Kardashian may have been proud of herself for being able to achieve the feat, her choice to go on a crash diet stirred some controversy and sparked some criticism, especially from those who felt she was promoting body-image issues or disordered eating, not to mention the health impact. Talking to Women's Health Magazine, RDN Jonathan Valdez confirmed, "Rapid weight loss risks include electrolyte imbalances, gallstones, gout, fatigue, constipation, diarrhea, and nausea."

Kardashian did admit that the diet change (including adding red meat to her previously plant-based diet) had some repercussions for her, saying to Allure, " ... psoriasis broke out over my body and I got psoriatic arthritis, so I couldn't really move my hands." Despite being open about the effects of the diet, she ultimately defended her decision, continuing to say, "If I was starving and doing it really unhealthy, I would say that, of course, that's not a good message. But I had a nutritionist, I had a trainer. I have never drunk more water in my life. I don't see the criticism for other people when they lost weight for roles — they are geniuses for their craft."

If you need help with an eating disorder, or know someone who does, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).

Contouring is one of the oldest makeup techniques around; in fact, it dates back to the Elizabethan era when it was used as a stage-makeup technique. In modern times, this face-sculpting makeup technique has been widely used by drag queens. It was Kim Kardashian, however, that made it mainstream. Contouring went from a technique only used on stage and in old movies to something that nearly everyone was doing, as a regular part of their daily makeup routine.

It all started in the early 2010s when Kim Kardashian was not only contouring her face but also sharing her style and makeup secrets, changing the way many got dressed and wore makeup. In a 2012 Instagram post, Kardashian shared an image of herself with concealer and powder still unblended, giving a peek at her glam makeup process. Speaking to Hello!, Kardashian went into detail about her process. "I put on all my foundation first," she said. "I powder my face, then I put on concealer, and blend it with a pink egg-like sponge. Then I contour all here — think of a three. I go cheekbones, under chin, then the top."

Bleached eyebrows are yet another trend that the Kardashian-Jenners may not have invented, but certainly brought attention to. In 2022, the Jenner sisters along with Kim Kardashian showed up at major fashion events with trendy bleached eyebrows. At the 2022 Met Gala, Kendall showed up in a black sheer top, huge black skirt, and barely there bleached eyebrows. Also that year, Kardashian not only rocked bleach-blond hair but blond eyebrows as well, on the cover of Interview magazine. While this wasn't the first time she'd bleached her brows, this time they were notably lighter and more fluffy.

Kylie Jenner was also spotted with some light eyebrows, even though it seems she took a different approach than bleaching. At the Coperni Spring 2023 show at Paris Fashion Week, Kylie was spotted with some light, but not bleached eyebrows. It appeared that she may have used makeup to make them appear lighter, without going so far as bleaching them, showing a way to try the light eyebrow trend without the risk of using bleach. This approach seems to be one of many easy eyebrow hacks approved by Kylie Jenner.