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SEARCHSocial media and how we view ourselves through the selfie lens is having a huge impact on requests for plastic surgery according to the profession's leading organization.
By now we’re all familiar with the impact of online filters on beauty trends, which have resulted in an ensuing influx of requests at the facial plastic surgeon’s office. “Selfie-awareness,” first coined by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) has since morphed into everything from “Snapchat dysmorphia” to “Instagram face,” the “ZOOM Boom effect” and now the latest…“TikTok Face.”
The pressures of a virtual lifestyle have had a huge impact on the way we view ourselves according to AAFPRS facial plastic surgeons. Looking better in selfies continues to be a top rising trend as indicated by 77 percent of AAFPRS members in this year’s annual member survey. However, it’s worth exploring the nuances of TikTok’s enormous influence on self esteem and aesthetics.
From taping to reduce wrinkles to contouring with sunscreen, have TikTok trends gone too far?
Dr. Corey Maas, president of AAFPRS, shares, “Unlike its predecessors, TikTok makes those static filters fluid, further blurring the lines between fantasy and reality. With a single click, jaws and noses can be slimmed, eyes enlarged and reshaped, lips volumized, and so on. TikTok technology has become so advanced, that a makeup filter can smooth pores and add lashes while remaining nearly undetectable to the untrained eye, especially when in movement.”
The impact of video on our level of self-scrutiny is undeniable. The 2021 AAFPRS survey detailed an enormous increase in the trend for people seeking procedures to look better on screen. To illustrate, 79 percent of facial plastic surgeons identify patients seeking procedures for an improved appearance on video conferencing as a rising trend, compared to only 16 percent the previous year.
AAFPRS members report that the total number of surgical and non-surgical facial plastic surgery treatments is up dramatically. An estimated 1.4 million surgical and non-surgical face, head and neck procedures have been done in the past year, with AAFPRS members performing an average of 600 more procedures than they did in 2020, a 40 percent increase.
TikTok-influenced or not, Dr. Maas reminds all patients to select a physician based on their qualifications. Credentials, knowledge and experience have always been important when it comes to choosing a board-certified facial plastic surgeon, and they matter even more now. Board-certified facial plastic surgeons specialize in surgery of the face, head and neck. To find an AAFPRS member in your area click here.
ABOUT THE AAFPRS: The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery is the world’s largest specialty association for facial plastic surgery. It represents more than 2,200 facial plastic and reconstructive surgeons throughout the world. The AAFPRS is a National Medical Specialty Society of the American Medical Association (AMA), and holds an official seat in both the AMA House of Delegates and the American College of Surgeons board of governors. AAFPRS members are board certified surgeons whose focus is surgery of the face, head, and neck (inclusive of Rhinoplasty and Facial Rejuvenation). More information at www.facemd.org.
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