The “faja,” which comes to us from Columbia, a center for cosmetic surgery, was designed to be worn as a recovery aid following liposuction to keep swelling down and ensure proper skin tightening. But now, The New York Times, reports that it’s become a trend – first with Latinas – and now with the female population at large.

The faja, which comes in varied shapes and styles, can be purchased in Lycra, cotton, nylon and latex. The less forgiving the material, the more pronounced the effects. The undergarment extends from underneath the breasts to below the hips, cinching in the waist to create an hourglass or coke bottle shape.  Prices can range from $20 to $70.

According to the Times, “Getting the look requires some grit. Tugging on a faja can become a desperate bout of woman versus fabric. Flesh must be coaxed inside, battened down by hooks and, finally, sealed with a zipper that can force the air out of your lungs.” The saving grace, according to one faja-wearer is that it loosens up after the first day of agony.

These Columbian imports were first marketed to plastic surgeons and medical spas, but about five years ago orders from the fashion market overtook medical sales. Recently, orders have been coming in from places like Great Neck and Garden City, New York, in which the Latino population is small. At first the faja was a fashion trend among Latino and black women only; now the Times report that white people are asking for fajas.

There is an interesting potential side effect of the faja: it can hold the stomach so tight that the wearer may lose her appetite. At a store called “Caralinda Mis Fajas,” clients are said to squeeze their way into tighter and tighter fajas as their weight shifts downward.

The Times interviewed Valerie Steele, author of “The Corset: A Cultural History.” Steele points out that the faja is becoming popular in a world of “skyrocketing obesity.” Our beauty ideal is slender and muscular; our reality is that more and more people are overweight.