How The Rise Of Social Apps Changed The Gen-Y View On Plastic Surgery
Our current culture is so invested in enhancing (or, should I say filling?) one’s outer appearance, it’s increasingly more difficult to be able to spot the real from the fake.
From selfie angles, filters and photoshopping tools to dramatic makeup contouring techniques, a person’s physical expectations are constantly being challenged and becoming harder to achieve.
The pressure to live up to your photos is a man-made, first-world problem, but it is nonetheless a rapid, serious and ongoing issue.
Individuals establish entire lifestyles dedicated to securing their youth and beauty, refusing to acknowledge the basic principles and evolutionary certainty of life.
In a country obsessed with unrealistic, unattainable beauty standards, we need to understand what is "fake" and what lengths people will go to in order to make their obsessions their realities.
There are countless apps to enhance our own self-images — to smooth out skin, erase dark eye circles, whiten teeth and even thin out facial structure and features — that are on a quest for the perfect picture.
However, as we know, these apps do not authentically represent a person's true appearance, nor do they create permanent changes.
The results do not reflect accurate images, which lead to severe dissatisfaction with how people actually look and who they actually are. So, what exactly are these apps really doing to a person's confidence and self-esteem?
Clinical psychologist, Dr. Bart Rossi Ph.D, suggests:
"Social media has an ongoing impact on everyone's projected image. Individuals struggle to live up to the standards of which they have created for themselves. When they cannot fulfill their own expectations, mentally they break down and search for alternative answers to feel value. In 2015, that includes social praise through their digital activity. Even if it is based off something not real."
Body dysmorphia is one thing, but this dysmorphic mental disorder doesn't even have a name yet.
Filters are feeding into more psychological damage than people realize, and they are contributing to a brand new trend taking over the entire cosmetic industry. Fillers are the new filters.
The images people value reflect unreachable ideals and flawless physical conditions, which all revolve around being our own social media celebrities.
With ever-changing plastic surgery innovations in the cosmetic industry, both women and men desire total perfection.
While most people used to bring in photos of their favorite celebrities they wanted to emulate at a consultation, they are now showing filtered photos of themselves, as they believe their doctors can help them achieve their Instagram appearances outside of the app.
Instead of over-inflated lips, inspired by Kylie Jenner, or a plumper, more youthful looking face, people are opting for inflated egos with injections to boost their Klout scores!
Individuals really want to mean it when they hashtag #IWokeUpLikeThis.
Top board certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Gordon Kaplan, states:
“As an increasing number of women were coming into the office for consultations, an increasing amount of their inquiries were regarding fillers. I then began to notice a pattern. I was used to patients bringing in the photos of celebrities they held on high pedestals, but the new common practice was to bring in photos of themselves. Ironically enough, these photos had clearly been already altered and smoothed out, transforming themselves as close to perfection as possible. They officially had become their own inspiration!”
Since the Internet and technology have changed the perspectives and definitions of what it means to be sexy and what it means to be human, the scientific formula behind lighting, angles and filters cannot compete with the medical science of fillers.
The thought process behind this new mental health epidemic is, "Why filter my photos when I can simply use fillers?"
People crave the satisfaction they get from the "likes" and "comments," so when it doesn't translate into their real lives, they search for alternative solutions.
It seems Instagram is single-handedly driving traffic right into the offices of cosmetic surgeons (at least according to the experts), who are propelling these non-invasive techniques to the forefront.
People crave the satisfaction they get from the "likes" and "comments," so when it doesn't translate to their real lives, they search for alternative solutions.
It seems Instagram is single-handedly driving traffic right into the offices of cosmetic surgeons (at least according to the experts), who are propelling these non-invasive techniques to the forefront.
Even men are jumping on the bandwagon with more and more "Brotox" requests (Botox for men) and liquid rhinoplasty and facelifts.
According to recent reports from The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, various procedures among male patients seeking fillers and other enhancing hydraulics have skyrocketed up to 43 percent in a short five year period.
Many surgeons are attributing this rise to the increased usage of social media platforms. This only further proves the issue is a social media fallout, not a gender-specific disorder.
Internet transformations are a part of our daily feeds, and people have the ability to continually take their looks to the next level with these filtered makeovers.
The current trend is blurring the lines between the real and the fake and stirring up immense controversy with this plastic surgery initiative.
However, even the top surgeons aren’t miracle workers. Ask any leading professional or top surgeon in his or her field, like Dr. Douglas Steinbrech.
“It is really about maturity, sensible possibilities and communication,” Steinbrech says. He will turn away individuals who request ridiculous procedures, like those highlighted on TV, and who bring in clearly altered social media photographs. He explains it is a sure sign of a much bigger problem.
There is a level of morality that comes with the territory of being a board certified plastic surgeon.
The experts in the industry are advocates for realism, even in their skilled craft of turning ducklings into swans.
