All you need to know about the real-life Barbie and Ken

In a world where beauty is ever-evolving and often seen through a narrow lens, societal pressures and the pursuit of physical perfection have led many to extreme lengths. 

While this is true for so many, Justin Jedlica, referred to as the human Ken doll, holds a different perspective. For him, his looks aren't a result of conforming to societal pressures or beauty standards. Rather, it is an art form with his transformations extending deeper than meets the eye.

He said, "In some respects, people assume that this is like the pursuit of perfection... that Ken is the optimal form of how a male should look, right? And it all sort of revolves around looks and superficiality. I think that title, is typically what people take away from it. But, I wouldn't say that is something I strived for in my life."

Similarly, Valeria Lukyanova, known as the human Barbie doll, claims she never intended to look like the Barbie doll. Unlike what social media propagated, she simply wants to look beautiful and feminine. She does, however, admit to admiring Barbie as a child.

Let's learn more about their individual stories:

Meet Valeria Lukyanova, the human Barbie doll

Valeria Lukyanova, a model from Ukraine, became an international sensation for her resemblance to Barbie. She underwent a series of extensive cosmetic surgeries to achieve the doll-like features. She wanted to have bigger eyes, a smaller nose, and a tiny waist. 

It started with breast implants, followed by rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery and even a procedure to make her waist smaller. People were amazed by her transformation, but it also sparked controversy about how beauty standards can affect our choices.

Justin Jedlica: The human Ken doll

Justin Jedlica is on the search for perfection because he felt unhappy with his appearance and thought changing it could make him feel better. Justin has had over 700 cosmetic surgeries and spent over $800,000 to get the chiselled look he wanted. He has done surgeries on his nose, abs, and other parts of his body. 

Why they did it

Valeria and Justin had different reasons for their transformations. They really admired the doll-like looks of Barbie and Ken, and they thought looking like them would make them famous. They also believed these changes would make them happier and more confident.

Changing their looks came with a big price tag. Valeria and Justin spent a lot of money on surgeries as it added up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. This shows how much they wanted to transform themselves. But it also makes us think about whether these transformations are worth the money and the potential risks of repeated surgeries.

People had mixed reactions to Valeria and Justin's transformations. While some thought they were brave for doing what they wanted, others felt they were sending the wrong message about beauty. Critics argued that they were setting unrealistic standards for how we should look and how it's more important to be ourselves.