The ‘Love Island’ effect spurs debate about cosmetic enhancements and their downsides

In the United Kingdom, the “’Love Island’ effect” has influenced young women to get cosmetic enhancements — and this year, U.S. viewers are noticing.

The popular U.K. reality show “Love Island” returned in early June for its 11th season, and with it has come a renewed wave of concern about the ubiquity and safety of cosmetic procedures and their use by young women.

The show brings together dozens of contestants — or “islanders” — looking for love, friendship and drama, and its associated “‘Love Island’ effect” has for years been the subject of scrutiny for the influence it has on younger viewers, who are known to seek out cosmetic procedures in an effort to chase the aesthetic of the show’s cast.

Speculation around cast members’ appearance and their beauty regimens has become a big part of how many fans engage with the show. However, this year’s female contestants have drawn a particularly strong reaction on social media. Some have said the young women have gone too far in embracing injectables like Botox and dermal filler, which have now become ubiquitous in the U.K.

“Plastic surgery and injectables done incorrectly can make you look older,” said Dr. Daniel Barrett, who appeared in a video for his TikTok account in which he guessed four of the contestants’ ages. He estimated that each of them was over the age of 32, when in reality they are all between 24 and 26. The video has gotten over 11 million views and thousands of comments, many debating the aging effect of filler, Botox and other injectables meant to enhance the face.

A multidecade boom in cosmetic procedures starting in the 1990s has in recent years grown to include young people, boosted in part by social media that has normalized the use of fillers and Botox to address small imperfections. That has also led some people to embrace transparency around the use of cosmetic procedures in pursuit of modern beauty standards.

by Taboola

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But with that transparency has come an openness to speculating about who has done what to their body, leaving many women to feel they are caught in the middle: scrutinized both for how they look and for the work they’ve had done. Kylie Jenner, a reality star known for popularizing full lips achieved with filler, recently spoke out against “hurtful” comments she has received about plastic surgery she underwent in the past. Jenner began dissolving some of her facial fillers last year.

“There is really a horrible unrealistic expectation of women that you need to look perfect but you need to look perfect naturally,” said Sharon Gaffka, who competed in the seventh season of “Love Island” in 2021.