The Bizarre And The Beautiful

In a world where Botox has become as mainstream as colouring your hair, say hello to a new menu of body-enhancing procedures

- Zinhlezonke Zikalala

You’re familiar with The Plastics – not Mean Girls queen bee Regina George and her crew – but rather the work they’d have done: Botox, boob jobs and liposuction. Well, like the year Mean Girls was released, those procedures are so 2004. Enter the new generation: from hymen restoration to surgically crafted dimples, we round up a few of the weirdest makeovers.

Eyelash Implants

PRICE TAG: FROM R30 000

WHAT IT IS

Think of it as lash extensions on steroids. “Eyelash implants add a patient’s hair follicles to the eyelid,” says plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr Nerina Wilkinson. Live hair follicles from the back of the scalp are redistributed to the eyelid over the course of a few hours. As invasive as that sounds, it’s a walk-in, walk-out treatment – you’ll be home the same day.

WHY WE’RE DOING IT

While some people are just looking for long, fluttery lashes, this procedure is the best thing to have happened for anyone who’s lost their lashes due to severe burns or any other skin trauma.

NEED TO KNOW

It’s a tricky procedure. “The implanted hair follicles need to be angled in precisely the correct direction,” says Wilkinson. “If hairs grow towards the eyes, this could cause irritation, potentially damaging the eye – never mind the donor-site scar (the hair from your scalp) that will always be visible.” That’s not all: you’ll need to up your lash game – since the hairs will continue to grow at the same speed as the hair on your head, they will need to be trimmed and curled in order to look natural.

Dimpleplasty

PRICE TAG: FROM R15 000

WHAT IT IS