4 minute read
Ask the Doctor
Q & A WITH PLASTIC SURGEON DR. ASHLEY AMALFI
Social media seems to be a part of your practice now more than ever. When did that shift happen?
Living through a pandemic has kept many more people at home and seeking entertainment. They have turned to their phones and regularly engage in social media as an outlet to the world. Millennials are watching TikTok and Instagram TV (IGTV) instead of turning on their televisions. Our Instagram accounts for @QuatelaCenter_ PlasticSurgery and @DrAshleyAmalfi have seen so much growth and engagement since 2020. Last year during quarantine, my dear friend and colleague @TheDrSmita and I put our heads together and decided to use this focus on social media as a way to educate people about safe plastic surgery. Lipstick & Lipo™ was born from this simple idea, and we are so proud of how popular it has become on IGTV and YouTube. Once a week we take a 10-minute dive into any and all plastic surgery topics. Episodes have ranged from preventative Botox to the five things you must tell your plastic surgeon and even mentorship for female surgeons. Our show has quickly grown in popularity, and we were approached by The Doctors TV to film an episode that aired last January. Follow along and watch the episodes on demand; we have some exciting things planned this winter.
OK, since we are on the topic of social media, I have to admit, I did try the “pillow face filter.” Thoughts?
Filters have come a long way from the cat ears and pink noses when Snapchat first hit the scene. The latest craze is to post using the “pillow face” filter on Instagram, which is an absolutely overdone exaggeration of facial plastic surgery. Although advertised as ‘what you might look like with Botox and fillers,’ it couldn’t be further from the truth. While it might be fun to check it out and send snaps to your friends, people should know that this is a very poor depiction of plastic surgery…in fact, it couldn’t be further from our goal. Our aesthetic at the Quatela Center is always natural and personalized results that make you look and feel your best without looking like you’ve had anything done at all. It’s always the best compliment when my patients say everyone is wondering why they look so rested and glowing…leave them guessing. You can try the “pillow face” filter if you’d like, it’s fun and lighthearted, but if you want real results, come see us for a non-surgical consult that’s better than any filter.
What other trends are you seeing?
It’s so exciting to see patients posting their own personal experiences with plastic surgery on social media. We have seen such a shift, and platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels are exploding with patient-generated plastic surgery content. Procedures like rhinoplasty and tummy tucks are all over the internet, and our own local patients are engaging as well. They are recording their entire journey with photo and video content, showing themselves before surgery, in the immediate recovery period and highlighting their final result reveals at the end of their journey. We have had so many rhinoplasty and abdominoplasty patients actually ask us to film them when we take their bandages down and they see the results for the first time. I have to admit, this is one of our favorite parts of the process as well, and we are thrilled to be able to share it with the public. We have procedural patients sending in selfies as well, and asking us to repost pics of their new lip injections, or before and afters of their under-eye filler. This new trend is so real and authentic, and it reaches our viewers in such a different way. I’m just excited that this generation is proud to tell the world they’ve had plastic surgery. It’s no longer taboo to talk about your Botox and filler or a mommy makeover. I see firsthand how even the smallest changes make the biggest impact in our patients’ lives, and I’m excited that they are now sharing that with the world via social.
I’m loving following along on social… so much happens at the Quatela Center. It’s really a one-stop shop.
It’s been such a busy year for plastic surgery, and social media has really allowed us to showcase what we do best. I am so proud of our @QuatelaCenter_PlasticSurgery Instagram handle. It’s loaded with the fun and exciting things that happen in the Quatela Center every day. We truly are a one-stop shop, providing personalized aesthetic experiences from our medical spa, plastic surgery practice, on-site surgical center and even post-operative accommodations for our outof-town patients. Social media gives you a behind-the-scenes look at all of this. This month, we filmed an entire breast augmentation consult, which has gotten really great engagement. It takes the worry and anxiety away for our patients because they are able to see exactly what this consult looks like, what kind of discussion we have and just how fun and exciting the whole experience is. I have patients who follow on my personal handle as well @DrAshleyAmalfi. Seeing what the life of a surgeon and mom is like is very familiar for many of my patients. I’m just like all of them, I just happen to have a pretty unique job when I leave the house every morning. The relationship we are able to build over social media only strengthens the relationship we build when they step into the office for their first visit. It’s such a great way to get to know your doctor, and get excited about your consult or procedure.
