Is social media influencing patients' decisions to have a cosmetic procedure done? According to a survey recently conducted by RealSelf, the answer is "yes!" The online information sharing community suggests that social media is making patients more aware of their appearance and is boosting their desire to make improvements.
Often, it's a selfie here and there combined with pictures posted by peers that makes one think about their forehead wrinkles and frown lines being shared on Facebook for all to see.
Social media posts can be a constant reminder of how we're looking older. So, it's not surprising why so many people start to think about what can be done to make subtle improvements.
RealSelf surveyed 525 of its website visitors and asked them a rather straightforward question, "Has social media influenced you to consider or choose to have a cosmetic procedure?"
Nearly half of the respondents confirmed that social media has impacted them, with 15.37% saying "yes," and 33.40% saying that they knew they wanted a change, but the photos on social media made them more aware.
If you ask any plastic surgeon, they will agree that patients are concerned about their pics on social media. Patients today are influenced by pictures of themselves on social media, and by what others say about them looking older, saggier, or heavier.
What's Known as the 'Selfie Effect'
Cosmetic medicine has been boosted by the selfie effect as people seek to improve their appearance after seeing photographs of themselves on social media that make them uncomfortable.
The effect is twofold: Social media and selfies are fueling the increase in both surgical and nonsurgical procedures. The fact that we all have cameras all of the time has increased awareness about how we look and how others perceive us.
When more attention is drawn to the way look, it's only natural to have more desire to change. Sometimes it means losing a few pounds, other times it means addressing deep crow's feet, frown lines, or a body that has changed after having children.
In a poll conducted by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery earlier this year, one in three of its members reported an increase in procedures because of patients who were concerned about the way they looked on social media.
Since social media is here to stay and cameras and videos are always on us, it's safe to assume that men and women will continue being influenced by the way they look on Facebook, Instagram and other sites.
As with any medical procedure, we advise anyone considering plastic surgery to select a Board Certified plastic surgeon, such as Dr. Yuly Gorodisky to go over your options and concerns.
Call for your consultation with a Ventura, Thousand Oaks, and Simi Valley plastic surgeon today!