Men are undergoing plastic surgery to deliberately deform their ears so they appear to have “cauliflower ears,” a look associated with MMA fighters and rugby players. The procedure is reportedly being sought by young men who want to appear tougher and more intimidating.
Why cauliflower ears happen
Cauliflower ears are a permanent deformity caused by frequent blunt trauma or repeated friction to the ear. The trauma leads to pools of blood accumulating in the ear and cuts off the cartilage in the body part from receiving nutrients.
The ailment is common in MMA fighters and professional athletes who play numerous contact sports. Rugby players and combat sport athletes frequently have the blood in their ears drained so they go back to normal.
The surgery trend in Russia
Now some admirers are undergoing surgery to get the look. Russian media outlets claim the procedure costs around £55 (6,000 Rubles) per ear, with various risks accompanying the surgery.
It is suspected young men are getting the surgery in an attempt to look hard and intimidate others. Speaking to Moskva 24, psychologist Ekaterina Trofimova said: “A person skilled in martial arts may appear indistinguishable from any ordinary person. However, they exude a special calm and confidence that others can intuitively detect. They don’t need to display ostentatious masculinity.”
Other body modification trends
The development is not the only bizarre body modification phenomenon to come out of Russia in recent years. A man dubbed the Russian Popeye has left people shocked after he inflated his muscles with oils in an attempt to look swole.
Kirill, who goes by the moniker of Ruki Bazuki, has become a social media sensation thanks to a series of bizarre clips and sketches in which he is either flexing his giant biceps or showing off designer clothing. The 25-year-old was forced to have his enhanced triceps surgically removed, but his bulging tree trunk arms look dangerously out of place on his slender frame.
Rather than dedicate his life to lifting weights in the gym, in 2017 Kirill from Pyatigorsk, southern Russia decided to get big arms with permanent synthol oil injections. Aside from looking absolutely bonkers, synthol can damage muscle tissue and endanger cardiovascular health, which has led to Kirill's TikTok followers expressing their concern for his life. One person commented on a recent video: "Popeye the sailor man... On a serious note they really are gonna pop."
