We often hear about people going to great lengths to achieve their desired appearance. One individual who took this to another level is Sahar Tabar from Teheran. This Iranian Instagrammer gained massive online fame back in 2017 when she shared some astonishing pictures of herself. These photos were far from the typical images one comes across online and they stirred up quite a controversy.
According to Turkish media, Sahar underwent over 50 plastic surgeries in her quest for the perfect appearance. She also lost a staggering 90 pounds to attain the look she desired. With her unique transformation, more than 400,000 people started following Sahar on Instagram, eagerly keeping up with her journey.
Initially, it was believed that Sahar’s transformation was aimed at resembling the renowned actress, Angelina Jolie. However, Sahar, whose real name is Fatemah Khishvand, refuted these claims. She stated that her goal was not to emulate Angelina Jolie or the character from Tim Burton’s “Corpse Bride”. Sahar considered herself to be her own muse and did not aspire to look like anyone else.
For Sahar, the art of makeup and photo editing played a significant role in expressing her creativity. Over the years, she underwent various cosmetic procedures such as rhinoplasty, liposuction, and Botox for the lips. While Sahar’s actions received mixed opinions, she firmly believed that there was nothing wrong with her choices. She saw it as a simple means of self-expression, just like many others around the world.
Iran has a thriving plastic surgery industry, with the highest rate of nose surgeries in the world. It has been popular among young Iranians for decades. Despite facing opposition from her mother, Sahar pursued her dreams of gaining Instagram fame through cosmetic surgery.
Despite the controversy surrounding her, Sahar found immense support from her fanbase. People recognized her on the streets, called out her name, and showered her with love. Sahar emphasized that the acceptance of her family and her connection with God were the most important to her. As for the opinions of the rest of the world, she simply chose to ignore any negativity.
Unfortunately, Sahar’s newfound fame attracted the attention of the Iranian regime and lawmakers. In October 2019, she was arrested and put on trial, her Instagram account was deleted, and she was charged with “corruption” and “blasphemy”. In December 2020, she was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
This sparked an outcry from human rights activist Masih Alinejad, who called for help to free Sahar. After just 14 months, Sahar was unexpectedly released from prison. It is believed that the ongoing turmoil in Iran played a role in her early release. Sahar revealed that the judge had agreed to convert the arrest order into a bail order.
Following her release, Sahar made a TV appearance where she revealed her natural face. She admitted to undergoing several cosmetic procedures but confessed that many of the provocative images that made her famous were the result of makeup and photoshopping.
While Sahar’s official Instagram account is still deactivated, there are other social media accounts sharing both old and new pictures of her. As for me, I believe that people should be free to be who they want to be and look however they please. In Sahar’s case, it seems like there is much more to her story than just those eyebrow-raising pictures. I sincerely hope that she is out of trouble now and can move forward with her life.
