An Australian woman ended up with horn-like protrusions on the sides of her forehead after undergoing a fox eye thread lift.
Gym receptionist Jessie Carr, 21, underwent a procedure based on a viral TikTok trend in the hopes of looking like Bella Hadid.
Believed to be inspired by Asian features, the trend uses makeup to create the illusion of almond-shaped eyes, supposedly mimicking those of a fox. At the height of its popularity, the trend drew backlash from several social media users who considered it blatant cultural appropriation of Asian facial features.
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Fox eye thread lifts take the viral makeup trend one step further by pulling the brow area taught using stitches.
Carr took to TikTok to explain what motivated her to undergo the procedure: “When I was looking at photos on various surgeon’s pages, [a before and after image of Bella Hadid] was one of the main images they used to advertise the fox eye threads.”
“I believed that this was the same procedure that Bella Hadid had,” she said. “It was only $2000, so I thought ‘why not?’”
Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner and Megan Fox are a few of the celebrities who popularized the trend, which has been criticized for purportedly overlooking the discrimination faced by members of Asian American communities.
Carr, who now calls her botched surgery her “biggest regret,” was left with permanent scarring and protruding skin above her eyebrows that look like tiny horns.
She eventually had the threads removed and decided to share her story as a warning to women who are considering a similar procedure.
“Take my experience as a sign not to do it,” she says in her TikTok, which has already received over 20,000 likes.
Dr. Naveen Somia, former president of the Australian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, told News.com.au that the increasing number of young women learning about cosmetic procedures via social media platforms is alarming.
“What they don’t realize is they’re just seeing before-and-after photos on Instagram, not knowing what else went into the consultative process with regards to treating that patient,” he was quoted as saying.
