Initially, the selfie was just a popular social media trends among teens. However, it has now grown in popularity across age groups, positions and locations. Even leaders of nations seem to be bitten by the selfie bug and are often seen in public holding their cell phones and capturing close-ups of their faces and those of others in their company.
One of the reasons for the popularity of the selfie could be Facebook’s like button. However, if your picture doesn’t get enough likes, that would be reason enough to worry about your looks and lower your self-confidence. It’s no wonder that the demand for plastic surgery is growing along with the selfie trend.
The Influence of Social Media on Plastic Surgery Choices
The results of a poll conducted by the American Academy of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery could really substantiate this. The poll confirms there has been a rise in the number of plastic surgery patients who are undergoing procedures due to social media’s fascination with physical appearance. From the initial touch-ups of photo shopping of selfies, the demand now extends to eyelid surgery, hair transplants and even reconstructive surgery – all to look better in these photos that people take of themselves.
Of course, it’s facial procedures that have gained in popularity as the selfie is about the face. An infographic in the huffingtonpost highlights some interesting points on the popularity of selfies. It says there were close to 41,000,000 images tagged #selfie. Kylie Jenner was the most popular selfie celebrity as she posted a total of 451 selfiegrams. Also, ‘Kylie Jenner plastic surgery’ was among the most popular searches on Google.
A recent dailymail report says that more Americans are opting for plastic surgery to improve their selfie, with plastic surgeons reporting an increase of 25 per cent over two years. According to another report, the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) found that one-third of its member practices report increased patient traffic due to the desire to look better in social media.