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The Increase of Cosmetic Surgery With the Advent of the “Selfie”

The rise in selfies has led to an increasing amount of people turning to plastic surgery to improve their self-image and desire to post a selfie on social media. Alternatively, others are turning to make-up artists to improve their look temporarily with less associated cost. The trend in selfies has created a whole new market focused on improving physical beauty for the sole purpose of appearing beautiful in self-portraits.

Woman taking a selfie of herself.

The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) conducted a poll of 2,700 of its medical members. The poll revealed that 1 in 3 plastic surgeons had noticed a rise in patients seeking cosmetic surgery because of their social media image. Of those polled, they found a 10% increase in nose jobs from 2012 to 2013, along with a 6% increase in surgery to eyelids, a 7 % increase in hair transplants1 and a 58% increase for butt augmentation2. In 2015, the AAFPRS found an increase of 64% in patients under 30 being reported by its members3. Unfortunately, the Canadian Society of Plastic Surgeons does not collect the same information to compare whether similar trends are arising in Canada3.

There does, however, seem to be increases in plastic surgery due to the trend in selfies across North America. A plastic surgeon in the US, for example, has found a whopping 25% increase in the past year or two, which is presumed to be associated with the trend in selfies on social media5. A clinic in British Columbia has found a 268% increase in patients under 30 in the past 5 years alone6.

In 2015, there was an increase of 48% in lip implants since 2000 for both men and women in the United States. For the same time period, there was an increase of 1, 000 percent for botox and other fillers7.

In today’s day and age with the hyper focus on selfies and social media, cosmetic surgery is one way in which people can enhance their self image and feel confident enough to be in front of the camera and post their image on social media. If you are seeking a way to enhance your appearance, a consultation with our experts can help you understand whether cosmetic surgery is the right procedure for you to address your needs. In some instances, cosmetic surgery may not be the right approach.

1NY Daily News (2014) “Nip, tuck, click: Demand for U.S. plastic surgery rises in selfie era”
2Mintz, Zoe (2014) “Selfies And Plastic Surgery: How Social Media Is Causing More People To Go Under The Knife For Cosmetic Purposes.”
3Lovgreen, Tina (2016) “Selfie craze triggers surge in cosmetic procedures”
4 Kozicka, Patricia (2016) “Our obsession with selfies may have led to lip plastic surgery spike”
5NY Daily Tines, Supra note 1.
6Lovgreen, Supra note 3.
7Kozicka, Supra note 4.