Of moon faces and curves: How trending beauty standards are fueling steroid misuse
Social media trends promoting specific beauty standards are driving the misuse of prescription medications like corticosteroids for weight and appearance alteration. Experts warn that using these drugs without medical supervision poses severe health risks.
Why it matters
The trend illustrates the dangerous intersection of social media influence, body image pressure, and the illicit use of prescription pharmaceuticals.
Societal pressure is likely to trigger some women to try to fix their bodies to match beauty norms.
Through their self-critical perspectives, some women are struggling with weight management challenges such as weight gain, weight loss, or even their quest to achieve curves, later making them vulnerable to organ failure complications.
Unfolding the women’s beauty standard dynamics, there is a common usage of highly synthetic corticosteroid medications, which are identified to treat severe asthma attacks, skin disorders such as eczema, and autoimmune diseases like arthritis and lupus.
This prescription has been labelled as a restricted hormone-altering cortisol, which is produced by the adrenal glands. Biologically, prednisone is usually used by doctors to suppress the immune system and regulate inflammatory conditions.
In a scroll of TikTok feed, I came across videos of young women showing off their glowing, plump faces. Ones like those featured on Korean skincare products.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in