The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Wilfrid Laurier chapter.

A few weeks ago, TikTok was taken over by videos about buccal fat removal, celebrities that have gotten the procedure done and whether we, the ordinary people, should get it done too. The cosmetic procedure removes cheek fat to make people’s faces look thinner.

However, this isn’t the first glimpse of Hollywood’s resurgent obsession with thinness. I believe it started when Kim Kardashian lost 16 pounds to fit into Marilyn Monroe’s dress and when the Kardashians began reversing their BBLs. Recently, Ozempic, a diabetes medication, began flying off the shelves, not to help treat diabetes but for its weight-loss-related side effects.

What does this all mean? Some think it marks the official return of heroin chic, the pinnacle of 90’s body standards. After the 2010s and the rise of body positivity around the globe, would we be taking a step backwards toward body shaming instead? Unfortunately, the answer is not quite so simple.

What is Heroin Chic?

The term heroin chic is a general descriptor of thinness. However, it once referred to an aesthetic or fashion trend stemming from the 90’s grunge, as explained by Mina Le. At the time, the rock scene birthed bands like Nirvana, Hole and Alice in Chains, to name a few. The main point of grunge was to strip away the glamour of pop culture and paint a more realistic picture of people. So, fashion began to turn away from 80’s glam for natural, laid-back and authentic imagery.

Unfortunately, many people, famous or not, dealt with drug use, one of those drugs being heroin. The gritty realism of fashion photography suddenly seemed sinister. People noticed the thin models with their pale skin, dark circles and wraith-like appearances and began to see the side effects of heroin usage being touted in fashion magazines.

Drug addiction is no trivial matter and neither is the romanticization of it in the media. To blame the fashion industry for the rise in heroin addiction during that time would be an oversimplification of the issue. Yet, we now know the term heroin chic has a long and dark history beneath it. It is more than an alternative term for a thin body. It means achieving such a body in unhealthy and dangerous ways.

What Does This Mean for Us?

With Hollywood’s sudden shift towards appearing slimmer, it is no wonder that hysteria has overtaken the public. With all the other 90’s trends coming back, why wouldn’t this one?

That being said, I don’t think heroin chic will take over. While it seems that celebrities are becoming more averse to having curves or attainable bodies, the sad reality is that thinness never went out of style. Even 2010’s body trends required people to have flat stomachs and toned limbs. Runway models still have thin body types and actors still lose weight before big roles. Amongst the Hollywood elite, things haven’t changed much.

However, Hollywood aside, we know better. We have seen the consequences of obsessing over appearances and making “being skinny” the main priority in people’s lives. It leads to catastrophic health issues, mentally and physically. We have also seen the positive effects of the body-positivity movement and the importance of accepting and respecting people for who they are. Even if celebrities are hell-bent on losing weight, we can choose to tune them out. Our focus should be on being healthy, not thin.

Our bodies are not trends. It doesn’t matter if skinny or slim-thick is in. We have the right to exist in the world just the way we are. We deserve to be happy with our bodies, especially when the media tries to tell us otherwise.

References

Heroin Chic: Body Types Are Not Trends

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