Increase in Demand for Surgery to Look Like Filtered Selfies

Researchers reveal the impact of social media filters on our self-esteem and body image

A worrying statistic from researchers at Boston Medical Center, Massachusetts, reveals that 55% of surgeons report seeing patients who want surgery to improve their selfies. Doctors reported that in the past, photos of celebrities were commonplace in the plastic surgery consultation room, but now it’s more likely for a patient to whip out a filtered selfie of themselves. This trend has been dubbed “Snapchat dysmorphia” by surgeons. “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,” say researchers in a JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery Viewpoint article.

Discussing the effect filtered images can have on self-esteem, researchers explain how they can “make one feel inadequate for not looking a certain way in the real world, and may even act as a trigger and lead to body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)”. BDD causes sufferers to feel they have some sort of “flaw” in their appearance, and become consumed with anxiety surrounding it. This can lead sufferers to avoid social interaction and engage in repetitive behaviours such as checking themselves in the mirror or skin picking. For some, plastic surgery seems like the only solution. The researchers say surgery is not the right course of treatment in these instances, explaining that surgery can exacerbate the problem. Instead, they recommend psychological interventions such as cognitive behavioural therapy, and for clinicians to approach the patient with empathy. Visit counselling-directory.org.uk to find out more about counselling for BDD.

Kat Nicholls