In Dagestan and other republics of Russia’s North Caucasus Federal District, lip fillers are gaining popularity among men, sparking controversy.

Dagestan and the other predominantly Muslim North Caucasus republics are famous for their bearded, manly-looking men, but a new beauty trend is slowly chipping away at the region’s manly reputation. According to Russian media, North Caucasus men are increasingly turning to cosmetologists for lip augmentation procedures like fillers. Such behavior is still heavily frowned upon, so cosmetologists perform them during the night, when the chance of being caught are lower, and charge up to 20,000 Russian rubles ($255), compared to the standard 2,000 ($25) – 3,000 ($38), to keep the identities of their clients secret. “In Dagestan and other republics of the North Caucasus Federal District, lip augmentation is gaining popularity among men,” the popular Mash Telegram channel announced, adding that cosmetologists are facing increasing pressure in the form of harassment and threats to reveal the name of their male clients. Despite this, the trend is reportedly gaining momentum, and photos of bearded men with enhanced lips are going viral on social media. Some reports have suggested that the lip augmentation trend among Dagestani men was inspired by popular fitness influencer Askhab Tamaev, although it’s unclear whether he himself has had the procedure done. Dagestan is renowned for its strong fighting culture, having produced an impressive number of elite wrestlers and mixed martial arts champions, the most famous of which is UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov.