Instagram, and Plastic Surgery

Just when you thought that American society couldn’t get any more narcissistic, along came selfies and social media.

The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery reports that its members have seen an uptick in requests for facial plastic surgery procedures that will make people look better in selfies. But wait, it gets better.

Now, the plastic surgeons at Beverly Hills Physicians are reporting an increase in men and women inquiring about plastic surgery after Instagram filters reveal the best versions of themselves.

If you’re not familiar with Instagram filters, just know that they do some of the work that expensive re-touching artists used to do to professional photographs. There are many of these filters, and some of them can do a lot to make portrait-type photographs of people a lot more flattering to their subjects.

Because people are now able to spend hours using different filters on their selfies, (and other pics of themselves), they have an unprecedented ability to see how they might look after a few creative tweaks. This is apparently sending them into the arms of plastic surgeons across the country.

Plastic surgeons have long made use of specialized imaging software to show potential patients what they might look like after a given procedure. But Instagram allows people to experiment in the comfort of their own homes. Apparently, this is inspiring many of them to seek professional help in achieving their desired look.