Plastic surgeons are increasingly being asked to make people look like their doctored selfies.
Experts say the ability to edit photos on smartphones is focusing attention on self-diagnosed flaws and imperfections.
Doctors warn the trend has created ‘Snapchat dysmorphia’ as users share ‘perfect’ pictures after manipulating them with modern technology.
They warn people find it so easy to improve their looks on screen that they now want to replicate the process in real life. A survey found 55 per cent of plastic surgeons in the US had patients who requested surgery to improve appearance in selfies in 2017 – up from 42 per cent in 2015 and 13 per cent in 2013.
Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine wrote in plastic surgery journal JAMA: ‘A new phenomenon called “Snapchat dysmorphia” has popped up, where patients are seeking out surgery to help them appear like the filtered versions of themselves. Now, it is not just celebrities propagating beauty standards – it is a classmate, a co-worker, or a friend.’
They added: ‘The pervasiveness of these filtered images can take a toll on one’s self-esteem … It can be argued these apps are making us lose touch with reality because we expect to look perfectly primped and filtered in real life as well.’
– Daily Mail
