Should you’ve never had or intended to have cosmetic surgery, likelihood is you wouldn’t have come across a ‘cosmetic surgery doll’ account on Instagram. Away from public Instagram feeds, communities of people who find themselves undertaking cosmetic procedures are turning to the platform to research and document their goals and results. The private accounts are called ‘Sx pages’ and there’s normally a rigorous process keeping out anyone who’s not going under the knife. 

Rebecca*, a 35-year-old based in London, first turned to the world of ‘cosmetic surgery dolls’ on Instagram after deciding to get liposuction on her entire body. Wanting to research further than the clinic’s website would allow, she created her first private ‘Sx page’ to search out the clinic with the most effective results. “Making my account gave me that final push. It made every thing I imagined right into a reality,” she explains. “I used to be capable of connect with many like-minded women who’ve had issues with their bodies their whole lives, but all of us have a goal to attain that ‘goal’ body and feel higher about ourselves.”

Like most other ‘dolls’, Rebecca named her account referencing the provider that she’s working with. For instance, ‘ChangDoll’ can be a girl who had surgery performed by Dr Chang. This helps other dolls and prospective dolls to search out other women using or meaning to use the identical surgeons. She then goes on to list the date of her surgery in her bio, as many do, followed by “no men allowed” since the accounts feature nudity and progress photos, it’s common for men to be denied access.

The accounts are an underground, anonymous, and unverified look into real cosmetic surgery results. They act as a how-to guide for prospective clients, serving as a mood board for ‘goal’ body images, detailing prices and experiences, and showcasing the truth of recovery. “Recovery is just not glamorous and also you don’t come out together with your dream body,” says Rebecca. “It’s vital to be as authentic as possible on these pages and share your very real results because had I not connected with other dolls, I don’t know if I’d have been as prepared as I used to be.”

Other UK-based dolls helped Rebecca through her entire surgery process – she had a rhinoplasty concurrently liposuction, which she says she now regrets due to recovery process. After reading the reviews on ‘Sx’ pages, she modified clinics then worked out her ‘supplies’ list for the day through her own community. She explains how dolls continued to envision in on her throughout the surgery process, and that many meet up outside of Instagram. “On my down days this page helps me because it’s a really up and down journey,” she says. “I can post a story about how I’m feeling low or struggling to shed extra pounds and other dolls will lift you up and offer advice.” 

Amy*, also based in London, became a ‘doll’ for the only purpose of warning others about a specific surgeon that she had a negative experience with. “Once I got here out of surgery, I used to be devastated. It didn’t even look near my desired result,” she explains. “I knew leaving a review or calling my surgeon wouldn’t matter and desired to warn others.” Amy now wishes she had known concerning the ‘Sx pages’ before her surgery and now uses them to research results for all her upcoming procedures.

“I used to be capable of connect with many like-minded women who’ve had issues with their bodies their whole lives, but all of us have a goal to attain that ‘goal’ body and feel higher about ourselves” – Rebecca*

While similarities could be drawn to the long-established ‘pro-ana’ social media accounts and hashtags where those with eating disorders support one another in fasting and weight reduction, Instagram dolls appear to be more safety-orientated. One doll posts: “Life isn’t perfect, but my butt is. Dreams can come true”. One other says: “Here’s what I seem like with clothes on (still not comfortable posting nudes). Are you able to please help me select a health care provider that can make me snatched?”. While most ‘goal body’ or ‘wish pictures’ posted are unattainable without multiple surgeries, there appears to be a balance of sharing body image issues and setting realistic standards for results. 

Jasmine*, a 27-year-old based in California, notes there was a shift locally after a recent article by The New York Times brought the underground community to light. While privacy has all the time been one among the most important concerns for dolls, she explains that many accounts are taking more rigorous measures to maintain out unwanted followers. “Many dolls left Instagram altogether after it (the article) got here out,” she says. “Others are asking for proof of surgery before accepting follower requests.” This proof, says Jasmine, is most frequently in the shape of papers from the clinic. Despite recently being banned from Instagram, plastic surgeons have now begun to make use of the hashtag #surgerydolls as a way of also posting detailed images of various procedures. 

With this shift, Jasmine fears that latest dolls won’t find the community as helpful or as easy to navigate. Something, she says, was a very important a part of her own recent cosmetic surgery journey. “I don’t think I might have been brave enough to undergo with any of the surgeries that I actually have without accessing other doll’s accounts,” she shares. “I actually have a protracted solution to go to achieve a body I’m glad with, but know that the dolls around me will help me to get there.” 

On the surface, cosmetic surgery doll communities may seem to be a dangerous shift away from the body positivity or body neutrality movements in addition to a violation of Instagram’s censorship rules (that only really come into play if their followers report a picture, which on this case is unlikely). But until the dolls feel like there’s a more honest discussion about what to anticipate undergoing cosmetic surgery from service providers, or other parts of the Web, the necessity to connect with one another through the anonymous and unverified world of ‘Sx pages’ and personal Instagram accounts will remain.

*Names have been modified to guard privacy.