{"id":156,"date":"2026-07-29T15:54:37","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T15:54:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.inkit.co.ke\/?p=156"},"modified":"2026-07-29T15:54:37","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T15:54:37","slug":"beauty-at-a-cost-social-media-pressure-drive-to-misuse-of-steroids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.inkit.co.ke\/?p=156","title":{"rendered":"Beauty at a cost: Social media pressure drive to misuse of steroids."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The pursuit of beauty has become more intense than ever in the age of social media. From flawless skin and tiny waists to fuller hips and perfectly sculpted faces, many young women are under constant pressure to match unrealistic beauty standards promoted by influencers, celebrities, and edited online content. While some turn to healthy fitness routines, others are resorting to dangerous steroid misuse in an attempt to achieve these idealized looks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Medical experts warn that the misuse of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs is no longer limited to athletes or bodybuilders. Increasingly, young women are using these substances to gain curves, lose weight, or alter their facial appearance without understanding the serious health risks involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the common side effects is the development of a &#8220;moon face&#8221;\u2014a swollen, rounded face caused by excessive steroid use. While some users initially believe the drugs are improving their appearance, prolonged misuse can lead to severe complications, including hormonal imbalances, acne, high blood pressure, weakened bones, liver damage, infertility, and mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Health professionals say misinformation on social media has contributed significantly to the problem. Many online personalities promote unverified products or medications, claiming they can deliver quick body transformations without discussing the risks. Young people eager to achieve fast results may purchase these drugs without a prescription or medical supervision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Psychologists also point to low self-esteem and body image issues as major factors driving steroid misuse. Constant exposure to heavily edited photos and unrealistic beauty ideals can leave young women feeling dissatisfied with their natural appearance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Experts are urging governments, health institutions, schools, and social media platforms to increase public awareness about the dangers of steroid abuse. They also recommend stricter regulation of the sale of prescription drugs and greater efforts to promote healthy body image among young people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As beauty trends continue to evolve, health professionals emphasize that no trend is worth sacrificing one&#8217;s health. True beauty, they say, should be based on confidence, self-acceptance, and overall well-being rather than unrealistic standards created online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"764\" height=\"401\" src=\"https:\/\/www.inkit.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-07-29-at-6.49.43-PM.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-158\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.inkit.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-07-29-at-6.49.43-PM.jpeg 764w, https:\/\/www.inkit.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-07-29-at-6.49.43-PM-300x157.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 764px) 100vw, 764px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Agrowing number of young women are risking their health by misusing steroids in pursuit of unrealistic beauty standards fueled by social media.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p class=\"text-justify mb-2\" >The pursuit of beauty has become more intense than ever in the age of social media. From flawless skin and tiny waists to fuller hips and perfectly sculpted faces, many young women are under constant pressure to match unrealistic beauty standards promoted by influencers, celebrities, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,7,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-156","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-entertainement","category-health","category-human-interest"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.inkit.co.ke\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.inkit.co.ke\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.inkit.co.ke\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.inkit.co.ke\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.inkit.co.ke\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=156"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.inkit.co.ke\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":159,"href":"https:\/\/www.inkit.co.ke\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156\/revisions\/159"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.inkit.co.ke\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=156"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.inkit.co.ke\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=156"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.inkit.co.ke\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=156"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}