Millennials (or Gen Y) are obsessed with beauty. Despite the generation’s relatively lower average student income, their devotion to purchasing high-priced beauty products is striking.

Gen Y shoppers spend about 25 percent more on body scrubs, shampoos, conditioners, styling gels or mousses, and suntan products than the average American shopper. Furthermore, 75 percent of Millennials spend money on makeup because it makes them feel good. But if you thought buying expensive chemical-laden creams and lotions or stick-on freckles is insane, be prepared to be shocked by the latest beauty craze trending in the United States. It’s called dimpleplasty.

Celebrities such as Harry Styles, Ariana Grande, and Cheryl Tweedy are adored for the small natural holes in their cheeks. Dimples are attractive and cute, there is no denying that. But having them artificially created through temporary plastic surgery to look more like their celebrity crushes is a drastic step to take.

Surgery to make you look cute for a few months —  how crazy is that?

Though they look incredibly cute, natural dimples are considered a genetic defect caused by shortened facial muscles. Speaking to Allure, Darren Smith, a New York City-based plastic surgeon, explained that some people are born with a tight connection between the facial muscles and skin, which causes dimples.

In less than half an hour a plastic surgeon can create holes in your cheeks that will allow you to look like your favorite superstar. Wright Jones, a plastic surgeon and owner of Muse Plastic Surgery in Atlanta, explained that the main reason dimpleplasty is so popular among shallow Millennials is that there is little downtime, an enhancement of facial aesthetics, and a lack of need for general anesthesia.

Just before the procedure, a surgeon will mark the location of the dimples on the patient’s face. After the approval, the surgeon will make a small incision beneath the marks to create a slight defect. Using absorbable sutures, the cheek muscle is then stitched to the overlying skin. Once the internal scar heals, a dimple effect will be created when the patient smiles.

In the past few years, requests for this procedure among Millennials have tripled. The procedure costs between $800 and $2,500 and can cause temporary swelling and soreness. As if undergoing surgery to increase your cuteness isn’t ridiculous enough, the dimple effect only lasts for a month or two.

Though the procedure is on the rise among Millennials in the U.S., other beauty obsessed people — such as the 44-year-old U.K.-based beauty blogger AJ Weir —  have also jumped on this ridiculous beauty craze. Though friends and family told her she was “bonkers,” the woman spent $1700 to cut chunks from the inside of her cheeks because she was desperate to match the smile of her 11-year-old son, reported the Daily Mail Online. Furthermore, Weir explained that she wanted dimples for a long time as she watched her friends with dimples get their way because of the endearing facial features.

“For a long time, I wanted dimples. If somebody has dimples, I will try to stick my finger in their face. It’s really weird, but I just love them. I see them as a sign of being cute,” she said.

Have we turned into a nation of shallow, crazy people that prioritize looks above anything else? Is taking selfies and posting them on Instagram that important to Millennials and beauty-obsessed people? It does look like it since they are spending hundreds of dollars to create cute dimples that only last for a few months.

Instead of sinking all your dollars into these temporary beauty enhancements, invest in real beauty. Eat healthy foods and rejuvenate your skin with the power of organic facial creams and lotions to look your best every day.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

NewYou.com

Allure.com