How much of your true identity are you willing to trade in order to look like somebody else? As humans we have an addiction to looking good, believing that we are attractive is just one part of the play, actually being attractive is another. Time after time we ignore the clear risk factors cosmetic surgery and cosmetic products have on our health, but how far are we willing to go to achieve that picture-perfect selfie? Cosmetics have been engraved in our minds since we were children, the movies we watched, music we listened to and even those Saturday night sitcoms that are totally un-relatable. The truth is the use of cosmetic products and plastic surgeries is nothing foreign to us, but the rise of these procedures has started to inflict a ripple effect on the general population, stretching across the entire world. The fact is makeup has been one of the biggest evolutions to date, cosmetics can be dated to 3000 BC in China. Chinese citizens began to stain their fingernails with products such as gum Arabic and beeswax to represent their social class. Similarly, In Rome, slaves named cosmetae were responsible for bathing men and women of high status in perfume. Advocating social class through cosmetic products and procedures is still prominent today, many celebrities or people of interest use very high-priced products and procedures to enhance their features in order to stay relevant in the eyes of society. (Chaudhri & Jain, 2014) The cosmetic industry today is worth over $532 billion USD, you may be shocked by this number but cosmetics have truly invaded our lifestyles without consent. The question is, who is buying these products? During the 1900s-2000s, makeup and cosmetic procedures were targeted towards older women in their late 30’s early 50’s in order to drive sales. Ads about fillers and Botox were most commonly seen and endorsed by ageing women who promoted a “wrinkle-less lifestyle”. (Scott, 2020) But as the times change we see a shift in the target audience, what used to be sold to a 45 yr old is now bought by women in their early 20’s. Like many of us are wondering, where are these ad’s going? The truth is we don’t see anymore ad’s in mainstream television promoting cosmetic procedures, but what we do see is a rise in sales. Social media, such as Snapchat, Instagram, Tiktok and Facebook have been the missing link when it comes to beauty. Without us even being aware the celebrities we follow are selling us a lifestyle we want to be a part of, and many of us are willing to spend the money and deal with the risks if it means achieving it. Bigger breasts, bigger lips, slimmer waist and a symmetrical face is something that is not naturally attainable, but many of us are willing to look past the “natural look” if it means we can snag a few extra followers. Companies are now spending less on advertisements airing on television and more on social media followings and celebrity endorsements. Although, we may not see the ad we are the target audience. Women and teens in their early 20s and under have been the victims of these micro-advertisements. Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Nicki Minaj these names ring a bell for most of us. There is one thing these women have in common, their bodies. Oftentimes these popular procedures entail many health risks that big brand celebrities fail to show you. Even the most superficial procedures such as lip fillers and Botox can result in very invasive diseases and even infections. One of the most common cosmetic procedures done around the world is the Brazilian Butt Lift, this procedure is also considered one of the most dangerous cosmetic surgeries, with the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) citing it as having the highest rate of death for any aesthetic procedure, with as many as 1 in 3,000 patients dying as a result of the surgery. (Chelsea Ritschel, 2020) With every surgery comes a set of risks, but when it comes to aesthetic plastic surgeries these risks are more common than we think. Some of the most invasive complications include; Hematomas, Seroma, Blood Loss, Nerve Damage, Scarring, anesthesia and more. When you sign the consent form at your plastic surgeon’s office you are blindly signing your life away. Plastic surgeries have shown us time and time again that the outcome is not worth the risks of going under the knife. Even the most successful surgeries have resulted in death after the patient was sent home. Researchers monitored patients for complications and deaths within 30 days of surgery. Overall, five people, or less than 1% of patients, died on the operating table, and another 500 patients, or 70%, died in the hospital. 210 deaths, or 29%, didn't happen until after patients were sent home. (Lisa Rapaport , 2019) The speculation around why patients are dying after being discharged is still unclear, but most are leaning towards the outcome of an invasive infection that has caused these deadly post-op incidents. One thing still stands clear, the threat we choose to put ourselves in just for the simple pleasure of filling this universal hole we call our self-esteem is slowly becoming the cause of death at many funerals.