Because it resembles compression gear used after surgery, Skims' new Seamless Sculpt Face Wrap is causing controversy and blurring the distinction between cosmetic recovery and beauty trends.

The fact that Kim Kardashian's shapewear and underwear company, Skims, has begun selling a headpiece that closely resembles a compression garment worn after surgery is a clear indication of the ideals of beauty that are prevalent today.

The $48 Seamless Sculpt Face Wrap from Skims was introduced on Tuesday and is advertised as a product that will hold the chin, neck, and cheeks in place while scooping them up. The product, which is now only accessible on a waiting list, created a lot of online discussion in the hours after the company's Instagram debut.

According to Dr. Jonathan Sykes, a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California, and the former president of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the Seamless Sculpt Face Wrap's chin strap and Velcro fastenings resemble the bandage-like clothing worn by patients who have had extensive cosmetic surgery.

Skims claims in its marketing that the same distinctive shaping fabric used to make its shapewear shorts and tank tops is also used to make its face wrap. Collagen yarn is also allegedly included, though it's not clear what it is. Requests for comment were not immediately answered by the business.

Following the closure of her cosmetics and skincare brand, SKKN by Kim, last month, Ms. Kardashian is attempting to bring beauty items under the Skims banner with the wrap. According to Jessica DeFino, a beauty critic and writer for the Review of Beauty newsletter, it also marks her debut into the expanding field of gadgets that promise a better contoured face without the need for surgery.

According to Ms. DeFino, Ms. Kardashian is attempting to market this appearance to the broader public by leveraging the fact that it was probably achieved through far more costly and possibly intrusive procedures. With a product that simply never delivers the desired outcome to a customer.

The product's introduction coincides with the Kardashian family and other celebrities becoming more open about their use of photo-editing apps and body-enhancing surgeries like breast augmentations and Botox.