Selfie addiction increases demand for plastic surgery, says research poll

A research poll conducted by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) has stated that people are getting more and more conscious of themselves on social media. The AAFPRS has a total of 2,700 members. Amongst these members, every one out of three have seen an increased demand in plastic surgeries, so that they can look better in ‘selfies’. There has also been a rise of about 10 percent in rhinoplasty in 2013, from that as compared to 2012. Subsequently, there has been an increase in hair transplants by 7 percent and in eyelid surgery by 6 percent, The Westside Story reports.

34 year old dental hygienist Jennifer Reynolds from Costa Rica who opted for plastic durgery to fix up her nose to look good on social media says, “I definitely feel more comfortable right now with my looks. If I need to take a selfie, without a doubt, I would have no problem.” There are also cases wherein people have been hiring personal make-up artists, to be selfie ready at social events, to get off the discomfort of being tagged in a picture in which they don’t look good.

Dr. Sam Rizk, a plastic surgeon in Manhattan says, “There has been a 25 per cent increase over the past year and a half to two years. That is very significant. They come in with their iPhones and show me pictures. Selfies are just getting to be so crazy.”

The selfie culture has sprung up in the recent past due to a large number of mobile phone companies launching advancements in cameras, and also due to the rising importance of social media in day to day life. The prominent social networking platforms like Facebook, MySpace and Instagram have selfies posted on a very regular basis. The culture is not only prevalent amongst youth, but also important people like movie stars, actors, Prime Ministers and Presidents of various countries.

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