Smoother skin, a smaller nose, wider eyes and a slimmer face are all achievable when using one of Snapchat or Instagram’s perfecting filters. However, a new study has revealed that millennials are now seeking surgery to look like their airbrushed selfies in real life.
“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,” Boston University Cosmetic and Laser Centre director, Dr Neelam Vashi, told The Independent.
‘Snapchat dysmorphia’ – a phrase first coined by celebrity cosmetic surgeon Dr Tijion Esho – falls underneath the spectrum of body dysmorphic disorder; and the study, published in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery Viewpoint, found apps like Snapchat and photo-editing Facetune are to blame as they allow selfies to achieve a level of physical “perfection” previously seen only in celebrity or beauty magazines.
The study further explains that as these airbrushed, perfect images become the new norm on social media, people are now seeking to replicate these effects so that they can look like their selfies in person.
"We now see photos of ourselves daily via the social platforms we use, which arguably makes us more critical of ourselves. Patients using pictures of celebrities or Snapchat-filtered versions of themselves as reference points is okay,” Dr. Esho told The Independent.
"The danger is when this is not just a reference point, but it becomes how the patient sees themselves, or the patient wants to look exactly like that image."
The disorder is said to currently affect 2 per cent of the US population. Meanwhile, in 2017, the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery found that 55 per cent of plastic surgeons report seeing patients who want to improve their appearance in selfies.
