If you’ve ever dreamed of taking your “filter face” from social media pics to reality, you’re not alone — but would you get surgery for it?
Researchers from the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine say they have found a “clear link” between people who obsess over their — and influencers’ — looks on social media and the increased desire for cosmetic surgery.
The scientists point to the cases of people during the pandemic who became more aware of their own looks thanks to constant Zoom calls and increased scrolling on socials.
“A particularly troubling consequence of an increase in social media usage is the effect it has on body perception and self-esteem,” says Dr. Neelam Vashi, an associate professor of dermatology and director at the Boston University Cosmetic and Laser Center.
She continues in a media release, “[T]ime spent on social media and the use of photo-editing applications correlates with a person’s desire to undergo cosmetic procedures, and likely led to the increase in cosmetic visits seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Vashi’s study also says that “the angle of … ‘selfie’ photographs taken for social media often distorts facial features in a way that leads to dissatisfaction,” causing a condition medical professionals have dubbed “Snapchat dysmorphia.”
That mental state is leading people to actually go under the knife to “emulate filtered and edited versions of themselves.”
Dr. Vashi is urging medical professionals in that field to get to the root of their potential patients’ issues by quizzing them on their social media usage “to better understand their motivations and goals of care.”