With Halloween quickly approaching, we all know the looming dangers of costume do’s and don’ts – but we need to talk about society’s recent adoption of Tim Burton-esque makeup and the portrayal of harmful stigmas that are trending.

It’s no surprise the 90s coined term, heroin-chic, is back and monstrously gaining significant traction through TikTok and similar platforms. With characteristics such as pale skin, dark circles, protruding bones and an affinity for drug abuse, heroin-chic seems to be the Lisa Rowe of aesthetics. Now don’t get me wrong, I love “Girl Interrupted” just as much as the next person, but could that be part of the problem?

While the term heroin-chic emerged during the 90s, inspired by the drug-ridden and abrasive lives of supermodels, such as Kate Moss and Gia Carangi, its portrayal in movies has a grip on younger audiences. Beloved movies such as “Thirteen,” “Trainspotting,” “Pulp Fiction,” “Requiem For A Dream” and the previously mentioned, “Girl Interrupted,” aid in the romanticization and glorification of drug abuse and mental illness.

While Tumblr has long remained the main platform linked to the promotion of the aesthetic, TikTok has joined the chat, ringing in even younger audiences. With TikTok acting as a mirror to what’s popular within our society, one TikTok sound bite has been used in upwards of 30,000 videos only further proves the time-old obsession our society has with harmful aesthetics, narrating, “She’s been blamed for promoting anorexia and heroin use, and her nicknames include Cocaine Kate and Kate Mess. She’s Kate Moss and she’s a rockstar trapped in a supermodel’s body.” Social media grants easy access to these edits and posts which glorify the toxic heroin-chic aesthetic, so much so, that it has skyrocketed into a trend.

So you may be asking, why is the glamorization of addiction, illness and the encompassing heroin-chic aesthetic harmful? Overall, substance abuse is romanticized and placed on a pedestal above all other trends. Another reason this trend is so harmful is the negative impacts of glamourizing an aesthetic rooted in exhaustion and emotional distress. Not to mention, it can deteriorate mental-health, it’s insensitive and it invalidates those who have struggled with addiction or illness. Along with these issues, it simultaneously normalizes unhealthy behaviors.

While it may seem as though it’s just harmless fun, the next time you scroll past a TikTok star crafting a Tim Burton makeup look, think twice about the ramifications of continuing the trend and ending the toxic heroin-chic aesthetic and moniker.

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Hi! I’m Annie Gleydura, A Magazine’s editor-in-chief. My staff and I are committed to bringing you the most important and entertaining news from the realms of fashion, beauty and culture. We are full-time students and hard-working journalists. While we get support from the student media fee and earned revenue such as advertising, both of those continue to decline. Your generous gift of any amount will help enhance our student experience as we grow into working professionals. Please go here to donate to A Magazine.