Summer changed Vinicius. Not only because the Brazilian is currently going through a rather poor phase in football, not scoring since August 26 in the match against Real Sociedad, but also because, literally, he changed. The player returned to work with Real Madrid after the World Cup with a, let's say, different appearance physiognomically.
In reality, not much time had passed since the forward had been seen before undergoing the changes that are causing so much talk. On July 5, Brazil fell to Norway in the World Cup round of 16. 18 days later, Vinicius posted his first photo with this new appearance. The internet exploded with comments about the new Vini, even joking that it wasn't him, a meme that gained strength with the Brazilian player's poor start to the season at the white club. In reality, it's the same. Well, physically he doesn't seem like it, okay, but it's him.
Although the change impacted fans and, in general, the entire internet, the treatments that the player underwent after being eliminated from the World Cup to achieve this new image are very common among athletes, celebrities, and perhaps even among ordinary people as well.
"In addition to reshaping his nose with hyaluronic acid, Vinicius has done what most media male athletes have done. A facial masculinization: widening of the jaw and chin. He had a chin implant because his chin was too far back. It's what Beckham, Sergio Ramos, Cristiano, and many others have done," analyzes for EL MUNDO Antonio Fustes, director of the Medical Committee at Dorsia Clinics. And he adds: "It's the treatment that men undergo when they want to appear more powerful from a masculine perspective."
One might think that Vinicius's case is the most obvious or exaggerated of all, but those who can rewind to a Sergio Ramos in 2005 or a Cristiano Ronaldo at 17-18 years old will remember that their physiques have changed a lot now, and not only because of the gym, which also, that is undeniable. "Some are very media-focused, so they resort to treatments and it's normal," says Dr. Fustes.
And precisely that exposure that sports stars experience causes great uproar when the changes are so evident, creating debates on social media and generating a multitude of memes, as in Vinicius's case. Dr. Fustes defends comments with scientific, medical basis, which often are scarce: "Social media has a lot of information, but people don't have enough training to interpret what is true and what is false. It's an open forum without any criteria. They don't pass any scientific filter and everyone publishes whatever they want."
But these talked-about changes are not limited only to acid injections, rhinoplasties, or facial masculinization, of which Dr. Fustes confirms is "a growing trend." There are also other types of treatments, perhaps less flashy or judged, that can even limit sports activity.
"The case of Carlos Alcaraz is an example. Until three years ago, he had a lot of acne. One might wonder why he doesn't take isotretinoin, which is the treatment of choice for acne of that nature. Well, because it can affect performance: it can cause joint pain, and of course, they won't allow him to do it, not in a million years," explains the doctor. That's why these types of treatments "are usually done in the summer. If there are any complications or the recovery is not as expected, they have time to resolve it."
These practices are becoming more common, and although they seem to be becoming more normalized, the taboo around these types of changes, as in Vini's case, generates criticism and mockery. "There used to be a very famous phrase: 'One must age with dignity.' And it struck me a lot because then it seems that those who inject things are less dignified than those who don't," concludes the doctor.