Is the Selfie Driving New Plastic Surgery?

The social media selfie obsession isn’t going away. With all that snapping and posting, there’s bound to be plenty of not-so-flattering looks revealed in close-up candids. In response, some people are deciding to fix the fine lines, wrinkles, bald spots and misshapen noses they don’t like in their selfie snapshots. A desire to look good on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter may be the driving force behind a rise in visits to the plastic surgeon, and a new generation is leading the push.

Selfie Surge = Awareness

There’s no debating that the selfie craze is giving a big boost to the business of beauty. People yearn to look good when they post to social media and that’s prompting a potential stampede to plastic surgery offices across the country. Published reports quote a new survey that reveals about half of all patients seeking a cosmetic procedure say they want to look better on social media.

It’s a number that isn’t surprising to Dr. Ned Snyder, a board certified plastic surgeon in Austin. “Social media does impact a lot of people and that’s what they come in, complaining about,” he shares. Snyder says many people tell him they want to look better on social media. The report from the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) which surveyed 2700 of it’s members, indicates an increasing number of Millennials are seeking procedures.

Snyder sees the steep rise in younger people, and even some a bit older, who in large part want to improve their profile pictures. “What they are looking at is facial aging in people 35-45 and it’s people who didn’t use to pay attention to aging of the face,” he explains. “I think now they are coming in and complaining about fine lines, or jowling or flattening of face.”

What Should I Tweak?

It’s no longer good enough to look good in person, it’s important to standout online – when posting to social media. The selfie craze is prompting more people to look at their image with a critical eye and determine what improvements will help reflect their best image. In the age of Instagram and Snapchat, even the small imperfections show up. “It’s there, they see that that their nose isn’t where they want it,” says Dr. Rob Whitfield, a board certified plastic surgeon in Austin in practice with Dr. Snyder. Whitfield says the selfie obsession highlights even the smallest defect. “People are identifying a line around the eye, crows feet and even that a lip isn’t full enough.”

Temporary Fix or Permanent

Millennials are leading the charge to the plastic surgeon. That may be surprising to some, but not far behind are their older counterparts – who are looking for an edge in the corporate world. Appearing attractive in a selfie or a profile picture doesn’t hurt. Baby Boomers are also getting in on the selfie reinvention, using cosmetic surgery. The desire to create a new look can be scary and that’s why some people may feel more comfortable taking smaller steps, with a temporary change. With new technologies, that’s possible.

“People will come in now and have hyaluronic acid acid injected in their nose and that will be their temporary look at a change to their nose,” says Whitfield. Dr. Whitfield says later the patient may opt for a rhinoplasty or nose job. “That could be a permanent fix, but down the line.” Overall, experts say the selfie is creating awareness about also learning to appreciate and treasure the image in the camera, imperfections and all.