Bruce Ndlovu ,Sunday Life Reporter
AS Zimbabwean socialite Olinda Chapel, who recently underwent liposuction and breast reduction surgery, was sharing images of her new look last week, her Kenyan counterpart Vera Sidika was also doing the same to her 2,3 million followers from across globe.
The reactions that the two surgeries drew from their respective audiences was instructive. The comments under both socialites’ posts indicated that this was indeed a tale of two surgeries.
Under Olinda’s post, which was accompanied by the hashtag #healing, were hundreds of adoring admirers, swooning at her new look. These were diluted by the occasional negative sentiment. However, an overwhelming sea of praise and admiration followed the revelation of Olinda’s new look.
Gone was the old Olinda, the one who was repeatedly mocked by followers for her weight. Mrs Nkomo had now successfully reintroduced to Zimbabwe and its diaspora.
For Sidika, known more commonly as Queen Vee Bosset, the story was quite different. Known for her ample bosom and voluptuous body, Sidika was now reintroducing herself to her audience minus her famous curves. Gone was the apple bottom shape that had made her one of the most followed socialites on the continent.
Big buttocks make up
The hour-glass figure which had made her the apple of many a man’s eye across the continent was no more. When one had eventually recovered from the shocking sight of the formerly voluptuous socialite, whose new and humble figure was tightly hugged by a rainbow-coloured jumpsuit that seemed to be in no mood to flatter her body, they could then read the caption that accompanied the picture.
The socialite had a cautionary tale for women, like herself, who had gone under the knife to enhance their looks, particularly their buttocks.
“This has been the hardest phase in my life due to health risks and complications, I had to undergo surgery,” she wrote. “It’s still very unbelievable but I’ve come to terms with it and learnt to love myself regardless. Ladies; please learn to love yourself and don’t ever let peer pressure rush you into things that will ruin you in future. I’m lucky to be alive, God loves me so much . . .”
She concluded her heart-rending post by saying: “I will be posting my surgery journey videos here, for those who have been thinking of getting booty surgery or changing anything on their bodies this might change your mind.”
Queen Vee’s surprise reveal comes at a time when, in Zimbabwe and across the world, Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) surgeries and other procedures are now a trending topic as more and more women opt for surgery to enhance their bodies.
In Bulawayo and elsewhere in Zimbabwe, women are going to extremes to get a look that seems particularly indigenous to Instagram models and social media influencers. BBL adds volume to and improves the shape of one’s buttocks, often by transferring fat from other areas in your body via liposuction. Since 2015, the number of butt lifts performed globally has grown by 77,6 percent, according a survey by the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. It is the fastest-growing cosmetic surgery in the world.
While the BBL revolution has not been televised, it is being posted on Instagram and the rise of surgical buttock enhancements has been attributed to one woman — controversial reality TV mogul Kim Kardashian, whose follower account stands at a staggering 331 million. Since she shot to fame, many have held her body, which is thought to have been surgical enhanced, as the ideal type, with many aspiring to acquire her shape.
Dr Mark Mofid, a leading American BBL surgeon, also noted the influence of Jennifer Lopez and Nicki Minaj, saying they “had really popularised the beauty of feminine curves”.
Closer to home, influencers from South Africa are also turning heads of women on both sides of the Limpopo, with popular individuals like Thobeka Thobejane, Sithelo Shozi and Faith Nketsi having reportedly had their figures enhanced.
According to South African cosmetic and reconstructive surgeon Dr Deon Weyers, there had been an increase in women seeking cosmetic surgery, particularly during lockdown when social media became a meeting point for a world in isolation. “When you look at the numbers there, there has pretty much been an increase in the trend, even prior to the pandemic and it has sustained throughout. Brazilian butt lift basically refers to enhancement of the buttocks by reducing the fatty excess or tissues or unwanted fat above and around the buttocks . . . So, let’s say the love handles, the back, the tummy area and maybe around the inner thighs and then using that fat by transferring it and injecting it into the buttocks to improve of enhance them.”
Getting a procedure done in South Africa or elsewhere around the world however, is reserved for elite, well off Zimbabwean socialites, as the procedure does not come cheap. For one to pop in and do a mere consultation in Mzansi, they would need to fork out between R600 and R2 000. “Consultations depend on who you’re consulting and where. It can start at probably about R600 and then some surgeons will be in excess of R2 000. If you’re looking at a reconstruction consultation, usually, that’s typically about a 30-minute consultation. If it’s a cosmetic consultation, it’s an hour minimum and the further consultation and there, you would usually charge minimally for that,” said Weyers.
For a 45-minute-long operation, one might part with as much as R9 000. “In theatre, it’s a per-minute billing and if you look at theatres, you’re looking in excess of R200 per minute,” Weyers said.
However, while getting a BBL might come with a hefty financial cost, the health toll it levies is even more daunting.
In 2017, Mofid a published paper in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal which revealed that 3% of the 692 surgeons he had surveyed had experienced the death of a patient after performing the surgery. Overall, one in 3 000 BBLs resulted in death, making it the world’s most dangerous cosmetic procedure.
While Olinda’s surgery was not concentrated on buttock enhancement, she acknowledged how surgery, which is similar if not more exacting than the one for a BBL, was exacting a steep toll on her body.
“I still have another 4-6 weeks of full recovery to go through. I am still in pain and a bit more discomfort. But I promise you it’s slowly getting better. Yesterday it took all my energy to attend a friends roora. You can tell on my face how drained I was. So, it’s bed rest all day for me today.
Unfortunately, I also have to keep moving and slightly ouch or my body will get too used to being in bed and that may cause other issues,” she said.
For most women looking for the ideal body shape in Zimbabwe however, BBLs are beyond their reach. Instead of this acting as a deterrent, it instead has led some down even a more dangerous, as they seek cheaper routes towards their ideal body shape.
Last week, Sunday Life got in touch with a lady who only identified herself as Letwin, a saleslady for Botcho Cream in Zimbabwe. The cream that she peddles meant to boost women’s hips and buttocks, with permanent results expected after two weeks of application. Letwin told Sunday Life that Botcho cream only cost US$30 while Lipotrex, would set a customer back US$150 as it came in batches of six.
“Looking at the waist of a circle of fat, round face, many girls secretly vowed to diet. Some people give up exercise after a few days. For such girls, Lipotrex can help you completely solve the problem,” an advert on the Botcho Zimbabwe page reads.
Big buttocks make up
The cream is said to have no side effects because as it is made from natural herbs including white kwao krua herb from Thailand and fish oil. The cream is thought to be a product of Dr Zoh, whose origins are unclear, with his social media biographies claiming that he is either from the Ivory Coast or Nigeria.
“Botcho cream was whipped up by a man named Dr Zoh. But to be clear, he is not a real medical doctor or scientist nor is he a chemist. Still — he’s managed to concoct an all-natural booty cream using ingredients drawn from plants and honey. Botcho is a popular term used in the Cote d’Ivoire to refer to a woman’s huge buttocks. The term and the cream became popular due to the popularity of the Bobaraba (big bottom) dance — the latest song by musical duo DJ Mix and Eloh DJ — which is why Botcho cream is also referred to as Bobaraba cream,” one article on him claims.
In Bulawayo, Skin and Body Ethics offers Yodi B12 tablets and injections for only US$12. Other products include Zahidi hips and bum, which costs US$15 and Dermafill injections which cost US$25. The side effects of these creams and injections are not clear.