People are requesting to look more like they do when they have Snapchat filters on.
The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery found in a survey that in 2017, 55% of surgeons reported seeing patients who sought surgery so they could look better in selfies.
This is up from 42% in 2016.
In a new report by the
Facial Plastic Surgery Network, patients would bring images of celebrities to their consultations to emulate their attractive features. A new phenomenon, dubbed "Snapchat dysmorphia," has patients seeking out cosmetic surgery to look like filtered versions of themselves instead, with fuller lips, bigger eyes, or a thinner nose.
This is an alarming trend because those filtered selfies often present an unattainable look and are blurring the line of reality and fantasy for these patients.
Neelam Vashi, a professor of dermatology at the school and a co-author of the article, told
The Washington Post that "Sometimes I have patients who say, 'I want every single spot gone and I want it gone by this week or I want it gone tomorrow,' because that’s what this filtered photograph gave them.
"That’s not realistic. I can’t do that."
The report argues that "It can be argued that these apps are making us lose touch with reality because we expect to look perfectly primped and filtered in real life as well.
"Filtered selfies especially can have harmful effects on adolescents or those with BDD because these groups may more severely internalize this beauty standard. It is important for clinicians to understand the implications of social media on body image and self-esteem to better treat and counsel their patients."
