What is the 'two-navel' trend in China that is raising body image concerns?

A new ludicrous trend has taken over women in China - fake belly buttons. In the past, fake breasts and buttocks have already been in vogue that have raised concerns about body image issues faced by women.

The latest trend of using fake belly buttons is as unreasonable as it can be. It gives a sort of new but fake image-identity to women’s bodies, apparently making them feel more confident about themselves.

What are fake belly buttons?

These fake belly buttons are similar to temporary tattoos. These adhesive tattoos are placed on the stomach a few centimetres above the actual navel, which is obscured, creating the illusion of having longer legs that are widely perceived as more attractive, reported news outlet City Link.

Pinduoduo, one of China’s largest online shopping platforms, the top-selling merchant, offers two sheets of 32 navel stickers for less than 4 yuan (55 US cents) and has already taken 4,400 orders, according to the shop’s online sales figures.

The sticker’s popularity is evident among women on the social media platform Xiaohongshu.

Why are women in China following this trend?

Many women in China are following the trend of using fake belly buttons in order to make themselves look taller, as it allows them to wear clothes and dresses that they might not wear due to their original body shape.

“Every summer, I always feel troubled. I really want to wear stylish and sexy outfits, but I’m held back by my body shape – they just don’t look good on me, and I lack the confidence,” said one woman.

“However, these stickers are not easy to drop off; they’re non-reflective and even waterproof. I’m willing to call them the most successful invention of 2023!”

Many people are also sharing tips for making the stickers appear more authentic and natural, such as using makeup powder to blend the stickers with the surrounding skin colour.

Creating a fake world?

Fake belly button stickers are not the only beauty-enhancing tools gaining popularity on social media in China. Fake breasts, fake buttocks, fake shoulders, fake collarbones and even fake noses are now readily available online.

Fake buttocks cansupposedly give a lifted appearance to a person’s backside and enhance the body’s natural curves while fake shoulders can make narrow shoulders look broader, creating the “right-angled shoulder” shape currently popular in fashion and beauty circles online.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE