As part of an ongoing project, researcher and anthropologist Zara Alvi has begun her daily excavation to unearth cheekbones on her face, a formidable but rewarding undertaking that she hopes will yield prominent artifacts.
“I’ve been working extensively on the same site for years with little results,” says the 27-year-old. “And like any other excavation, there are good and bad days. Some days the site is too bloated to find anything, but other days, after extensive digging, I can find part of a cheekbone.”
Despite not finding any lasting confirmation of prominent cheekbones on her face, Zara remains positive there is strong bone structure to be found, pointing to the historical evidence that started her on this decade-long journey.
“Look at this photo of my grandmother when she was my age – her cheekbones are so high that there’s a shadow,” says Zara. “So genetically, there is a chance I inherited them – I just have to continue with the years-long excavation process.”
Besides her grandmother, Zara cites mentors Olivia Wilde and Chrissy Teigen as others who have inspired her to keep excavating for cheekbones.
“Obviously some of my mentors had better tools at their disposal to unearth their cheekbones – Chrissy Teigen’s were some major finds and are still considered one of the most significant ones in our community. But I’m positive that me and my handy gua sha can still find at least some minor artifacts.”
Zara has cycled through multiple excavation tools over the years – from facial cups to jade rollers – before settling on her current tool-of-choice. But she states that she is always on the lookout for new technology to help her with her excavation, although others in her community remain skeptical.
“Historical documentation is circumstantial – usually, there should be considerable evidence of cheekbones at the site before excavating,” says cosmetologist Dr. Jasmine Gutierrez. “Otherwise any tool used is rendered ineffectual. They still provide a nice massage, but tools alone cannot find what isn’t there.”
However, for now, Zara continues to remain optimistic that her daily excavation will one day unearth the cheekbones she’s worked towards finding for so long.
“People said King Tut’s tomb was lost forever until it was found, so not everything is a Sisyphean task,” says Zara. “So I’ll keep excavating until I find my cheekbones. In the meantime, there’s always contour!”
