We all know technology has influenced our lives in many ways, but now it is starting to influence the rise of a new beauty trend as well. Instagram photos have options of editing and adding filters, and with the appearance of the selfie, everyone has the opportunity to create highly edited photos of themselves. Since these self-portraits are probably the best photos most women have of themselves, they have come up with the idea to request plastic surgeries that will make them look just like their Instagram selfie!
This new trend is on the rise and is showing no sign of decreasing. Actually, more and more women want to do it. A New York City based plastic surgeon, Doctor Elie Levine talked to us about it and he said: “People are bringing in pictures of themselves taken at a favorite angle or filtered, and saying they want to look like that.”
There was such an increase in requests for cosmetic procedures since 2013 that they simply have to be linked with the popularity of selfies, and what is more, the phenomenon is spreading further and selfie taking is now made easier with the help of selfie sticks! They were the number 1 gift of the previous season.
Medical professionals are rightfully concerned about this trend as they see many pitfalls in women trying to achieve perfection mimicking filtered photos.
However, they might have found a solution. Doctor Levine puts it this way: “The patients coming in with the filters for Instagram are mostly concerned with wrinkles around their mouth, complexion and different blemishes, dark spots or red spots, and that’s great for them because you don’t really need any surgical procedure.”
This is good news since most of these conditions can be dealt with procedures other than surgery, and they are less dangerous and probably less costly too. These procedures range from Botox fillers for wrinkles to laser skin treatments for dark spots. There are many options for skin rejuvenation out there nowadays and plastic surgery is only of them.
Another area influences by Instagram is the apprearance and the rise of hand lifts! Apparently, taking photos of hands is a big part of engagement photography and women like showing off they rings and their stones. They can filter the images on Instagram, but now they want their hands to look good in real life, in order to be ready for Instagram! So women are women getting “hand-lifts” to remove veins and other blemishes so they can get flawless pictures of their hands … and the diamonds on their fingers.
However, mental health professional have spoken up about this trend and they have expressed some worry about the long lasting psychological impact of these Instagram based surgeries. They are pointing out that Instagram filters are designed for cameras as an artistic tool and that they weren’t designed with plastic surgery in mind. These are two different fields that should not be confused – real life and artistic impression.
They are also pointing out that building a positive self-image will go a long way and bring more self-confidence and self-esteem to women who tend to think negatively about themselves and see their body as imperfect.
Regardless of these warnings, the trend of Instagram filter surgeries does not show any signs of decreasing. It seems like it is here to stay.
We say plastic surgery is perfectly acceptable as long as it is done in moderation and by an experienced professional. However, before you do it, do a little research: there might be better options for you out there that will be equally satisfying.
