Selfies are fuelling a rise in nose jobs because the camera position makes it appear bigger than it is, say experts.
Taking a photograph from just a foot away makes the nose appear almost a third larger, a study found.
Researchers said this distorted self-image is behind a worrying rise in the number of young people asking for cosmetic surgery.
Four in ten plastic surgeons say they have treated patients hoping to improve how they look on social media sites, according to a recent poll. But London-based consultant surgeon Charles East, who specialises in nasal and facial plastic surgery, says he believes that to be a ‘conservative’ reflection. Mr East, a member of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), said he will often refer patients to psychologists to reappraise why they want the surgery. ‘We’ve always called it the curse of the selfie,’ he said. ‘It has created a real insecurity in a lot of people.
BAAPS figures show there was a 2 percent rise in those undergoing the procedure – known as rhinoplasty – last year. Millennials are expected to take as many as 25,000 selfies in their lifetime. The New Jersey Medical School tested facial measurements from photos taken 12 inches away and compared them to those taken from 5ft away.
They calculated the perceived ratio changes in the width of the nose compared to the face and found the size of the nose increased by 30 percent in men and 29 percent in women when taken at close range due to camera distortion. Pictures taken at 5ft provided an accurate representation.
