Beauty Obsession That Can Turn Fatal
Ageing is no longer seen as a biological process. It’s treated as a flaw and the pressure to stay young is very intense, across all age groups. Shefali Zariwala’s death has exposed the risks women take to stay relevant.
By : Puja Talwar
Update: 2025-07-27 15:08 GMT
We live in an age where ageing no longer simply means fine lines on your face or silver strands in your hair. Instead, it’s become synonymous with tight skin, plumped lips, and an arsenal of injectables and serums. So deeply has this aesthetic seeped into our consciousness that teenagers barely into puberty can differentiate between salicylic acid and retinol, but not always between Newton’s laws and algebra.
While Bollywood’s veterans still sidestep questions about their regular visits to the cosmetic dermatologist, Gen Z influencers like Khushi Kapoor, Shanaya Kapoor, and Urfi Javed are open about their aesthetic tweaks. Urfi even made headlines recently for removing her lip fillers, documenting her transformation candidly on social media.
But amid this beauty arms race, a tragedy has cast a shadow: the sudden and untimely death of television personality Shefali Zariwala. According to sources, the 43-year-old reportedly died of a heart attack triggered by low blood pressure after allegedly self-administering an anti-aging injection. The incident has ignited a crucial conversation —about medical risk, body image, and the relentless pressure women face to defy age.
The shot that backfires
“There are so many anti-aging treatments out there,” says Dr. Kiran Sethi, a Delhi-based skin and wellness specialist. “But we don’t know what Shefali actually did or if it contributed to her death. What we do know is that self-injecting anything, especially intravenously: is dangerous.”
Treatments like intravenous glutathione and vitamin C infusions are widely used across the world for skin brightening and immunity boosting. When done under medical supervision, they’re generally safe. The problem, says Dr. Sethi, begins when people take matters into their own hands.
“Even mixing vitamin C in the wrong solution, say, pure water instead of saline — can rupture cells. It’s not just unsafe; it can be fatal. Though 99% of these treatments are safe, there is a thin line between self-care and self-endangerment. And that line is often blurred by societal expectations,” she adds.
TV personality Mini Mathur, who has openly spoken about wellness supplements like glutathione, echoes this sentiment.
The burden of ageing
Shefali Jariwala’s story also forces society to confront a more insidious truth: ageing, especially for women, is seen not as a natural progression, but a flaw to be fixed.
The shot that backfires
“There are so many anti-aging treatments out there,” says Dr. Kiran Sethi, a Delhi-based skin and wellness specialist. “But we don’t know what Shefali actually did or if it contributed to her death. What we do know is that self-injecting anything, especially intravenously: is dangerous.”
Treatments like intravenous glutathione and vitamin C infusions are widely used across the world for skin brightening and immunity boosting. When done under medical supervision, they’re generally safe. The problem, says Dr. Sethi, begins when people take matters into their own hands.
“Even mixing vitamin C in the wrong solution, say, pure water instead of saline — can rupture cells. It’s not just unsafe; it can be fatal. Though 99% of these treatments are safe, there is a thin line between self-care and self-endangerment. And that line is often blurred by societal expectations,” she adds.
TV personality Mini Mathur, who has openly spoken about wellness supplements like glutathione, echoes this sentiment.
The burden of ageing
Shefali Jariwala’s story also forces society to confront a more insidious truth: ageing, especially for women, is seen not as a natural progression, but a flaw to be fixed.
“Aging often feels like invisibility for women,” says Mohua Chinappa, author, poet, and host of The Mohua Show podcast. “The moment you’re no longer fertile, society quietly starts treating you as irrelevant.”
Mohua, who has spoken openly about her post-menopausal body image struggles, says the pressure to look young is constant and exhausting. “I wish I were thinner. I do feel older. I still try to lose weight. But the real battle is with this narrative that our worth is tied to how youthful we appear.”
She also highlights the stark double standards in how men and women age. She says, “Look at shape-wear, an entire industry built around women trying to ‘fix’ themselves. Hopefully one day society will evolve to accept women aging, the way it accepts men aging. Without telling us to do it ‘gracefully.’ Because honestly, why do women have to age gracefully? Why can’t we just age — like any other species on this planet?”
She also highlights the stark double standards in how men and women age. She says, “Look at shape-wear, an entire industry built around women trying to ‘fix’ themselves. Hopefully one day society will evolve to accept women aging, the way it accepts men aging. Without telling us to do it ‘gracefully.’ Because honestly, why do women have to age gracefully? Why can’t we just age — like any other species on this planet?”