New Jersey plastic surgeon warns about social media trends

⚫ Research shows an unhealthy increase in plastic surgery inspired by social media

⚫ People want to make their images look more like them with filters

⚫ Past research has shown a link between internet use and poor body image

A new study published in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology shows an unhealthy surge in patients seeking plastic surgery to create a filtered image of themselves.

Smita Ramanadam, M.D., a New Jersey board-certified plastic surgeon with SR Plastic Surgery with offices in Montclair and East Brunswick, is helping Boston University researchers find motivations for plastic surgery and other cosmetic procedures. He said 175 patients enrolled in the study. .

They found a direct link between social media use and cosmetic procedures, with increased time spent using apps and photo editing software and increased dissatisfaction with appearance and physical features. It was related to a desire to change.

In addition to this relationship, the study also found that cosmetic procedures increased from 64% to 86% and people seeking consultations with plastic surgeons jumped from 44% to 68%, Ramanadham said.

As a result of “selfie culture,” users have developed so-called “Snapchat dysmorphophobia” and are seeking steps to copy filtered images of themselves, Ramanadham said.

“Selfie culture” has caused patients to see themselves in a completely different light.

“Taking a photo from 12 inches, compared to a traditional photo from several feet away, distorts your facial features. That may make your nose look bigger. To counter this problem, patients “To look and feel better in selfies, patients are using various filters on Snapchat and Instagram to change the way they look,” Ramanadham said.

Then, when you come to your plastic surgeon’s office, you’ll be asked to look like a photo with a filter applied to it.

“That’s why more and more people are seeking rhinoplasty or liquid rhinoplasty, which uses fillers to change the shape of their nose. ” she said.

Previous research has demonstrated the impact of social media on teenagers and suggested a link between internet use and poor body image.

Specifically, Ramanadham said the rise in plastic surgery that makes images appear filtered is due to young people using Snapchat and Instagram to communicate.

Generally, the majority of her patients are women, she added, and historically only 8 percent of patients have been men.

Not only is selfie culture prevalent, where people constantly see their faces in photos, but Zoom is also popular as people continue to work from home, where they constantly see their faces on screen.

“We’re just looking at ourselves much more than we traditionally would,” she said.
Ramanadham said it’s very important for people to seek out a board-certified plastic surgeon or dermatologist to have a serious discussion and plan a healthy and safe procedure.

She says if a patient comes in and asks to drastically change the appearance of their face based on a photo, that’s a red flag.

“We want our patients to have satisfactory long-term outcomes and increase their confidence in the long term, but we also want to ensure that patients have satisfactory long-term outcomes and increased confidence in the long term, but we do not want to avoid dramatic changes that can cause further harm in the long term. We want to make sure there are no consequences,” Ramanadham said. He said.

She said that while plastic surgery can make people look and feel better, which is always the goal, it’s also important to have an honest conversation with your surgeon about realistic outcomes.

Ramanadham said what’s really interesting about social media is that it has brought a lot of positive things when it comes to plastic surgery.

Surgeons can now connect directly with their patients and educate them. But he said it needed to be done safely and carefully. In many cases, information seen on social media may not be accurate and should be discussed and understood between the patient and physician.

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