Before the advent of social media, patients who came in for a plastic surgery consultation typically brought in a photo of a celebrity they hoped to look like. Today, many social media applications allow users to digitally alter their appearance. Does this give your plastic surgeon a better idea of the end result you hope to see?
Filters vs. Plastic Surgery for the Best Selfies
Most young women these days won’t post a selfie on social media unless it has been heavily edited. Luckily for them, most applications make it really easy to improve your appearance! On Instagram, you can apply a filter designed to make your skin look smoother. On Snapchat, it’s as simple as swiping left or right before or after taking a photo. Photo filters offer many remarkable transformations including the famous flower crown and “puppy face” effects. Not only do these filters add a fun and quirky element to your appearance, they almost always slim the face, enlarge the eyes, and smooth the skin.
There are also countless plastic surgery applications available designed to let you preview the effects of any procedure. It is incredible what they can do; even an unflattering photo can look nearly perfect after some light retouching.
What was once solely skill set of professional Photoshop re-touchers is now easily accessible by anybody with a smartphone. Even celebrities are joining in on the fun. Many of the most popular celebrities regularly post photos with Snapchat filters on.
Matching the Look of Your Snapchat Filter
The filters available on these apps are unlikely to be replicated by makeup alone – it will typically take a more invasive procedure to make one’s features match the filters.
A Cosmopolitan study on the subject reported that 18- to 24-year-old patients are more likely to reference looking good in photos as a motivation for cosmetic surgery than their older peers. Active social media users are becoming enamored with the possibilities of a more beautiful appearance, and are turning to the cosmetic field to make these dreams a reality. After seeing their perfected faces and bodies in selfies, the face and body staring back from the mirror just don’t make the cut.
Social media is not the only way technology is influencing the cosmetic surgery industry; virtual reality is revolutionizing the pain management aspect of surgery. Clearly, technology is growing and evolving faster than ever and this has far-reaching implications for a variety of industries.
What Do Tech Trends Mean for Cosmetic Surgery?
Selfie trends have obvious implications for the cosmetic surgery industry. An increasing number of doctors are seeing young patients bring in digitally enhanced photos of themselves instead of the traditional photos of celebrities. The number of annual surgeries continues to rise. Ensuring that your practice has a presence on visual social media applications like Instagram and Snapchat can keep you in mind when a user decides to follow through with surgery. As social media use continues to increase, the cosmetic industry can expect to see parallel gains.
