Would You Get Selfie Surgery?

Selfies, or snapshots you take of yourself with your cell phone, seem like an irreversible trend. Some psychological experts say selfies and the resulting selfie culture have been driving more and more men and women to seek plastic surgery. Young people in particular are feeling the pressure of selfie culture, causing them to critique their appearances. With stories of young people so obsessed with their image that they take photo after photo to capture the “perfect” selfie, it’s easy to see where this driving force is coming from. If you’ve ever found yourself critiquing a selfie photo, perhaps you, too, have thought about how plastic surgery could help you look better in your pictures.

Selfies and Facial Surgeries

While body surgeries remain a popular plastic surgery choice, the facial focus of selfie photos has spurred an increase in the requests for many facial plastic surgeries. Young 20-somethings and even teenagers have started to seek more information about some of the top anti-aging and facial enhancement procedures. While selfies are inspiring some of the rush to the clinic, the influence of celebrities may also be accountable. Comparing their own untouched selfie to airbrushed, touched-up celebrity photos in a magazine could make them very unhappy with the way they look. It may even start to warp their idea of what a normal person is supposed to look like. Plastic surgery can offer the answer to their concerns and help them achieve the look they really want.

Common Facial Surgery Choices

The top selfie-inspired surgeries all involve aspects of the face. The top three include:

• Rhinoplasty, a nasal surgery that can alter the form and/or function of the nose. A cosmetic rhinoplasty may eliminate a bump or hump, widen or narrow the nostrils, change the shape or the tip of the nose, and correct damage to the nose. A surgeon can help you to determine the right shape and size for your nose based on your ethnicity, other facial features, gender, thickness of your skin, and your age.
• Lip Enhancement is a procedure that involves filler injections to add volume and fullness to the lips. Collagen injections, dermal fillers like Juvederm, and even fat injections are sometimes used to achieve the right look. The end result is a more prominent mouth, one of the current trends among both celebrities and selfie takers.
• Botox Injections are also nonsurgical, like lip enhancements, and involve a special formula that can decrease the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles on the face. Botox is a sterile, purified protein that is laboratory-made from Clostridium botulinum, a paralytic that will temporarily immobilize facial muscles. Once the muscles stop contracting, the wrinkles and fine lines will lay flat on the skin. When used proactively by younger patients, Botox can also slow the formation of these wrinkles over time.

Selfies Aren’t All Bad

At first glance, it may seem like the plastic surgery choices fueled by selfies and celebrities are self-centered and narcissistic. After all, young men and women are taking lots of photos of themselves all day long. It’s not all bad, though, when you consider the digital world we all live in today, where first impressions are made by images shared overseas on computer screens. With dating sites, social media sites, image and video sharing sites, and more, today’s younger generations are constantly encountering pictures of themselves wherever they go. Imagine working all day in a house of mirrors; eventually, you’d start finding problems with the way you looked as well.

With this constant barrage of photos everywhere, it’s not surprising we would get to this point where selfie culture is taking hold. While some would-be patients can be considered “too young” for plastic surgery, the image problems and social anxieties they experience are still very real. In some cases, surgery can be the right solution. In others, conversations with a counselor, a parent, or even a plastic surgeon can help. On a case by case basis, some selfie surgeries might actually be doing some good for the right patients.

Consult With a Plastic Surgeon

To learn more about facial surgeries and whether you could benefit, consult with the right surgeon. Visit Renu Med Spa and Plastic Surgery to speak with founder and Medical Director Dr. Philip Schoenfeld, a board certified facial plastic surgeon with experience in fat transfers and other enhancement techniques.

A dedication to excellence and aesthetics has earned Dr. Schoenfeld an exceptional reputation among his peers. He has practiced in Washington, DC, since 1994 and was voted one of America’s Top Doctors in 2013 by Castle Connolly. Contact the Renu Med Spa and Plastic Surgery, located at 5454 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 1625, in Chevy Chase, MD, by calling (301) 652-7368 (RENU). Book your appointment today!