The link between social media and cosmetic surgery
Trends in Cosmetic Surgery
By Fabian Gurău, MD Specialist in Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery
In my opinion, the impact that social media has on the general public directly affects cosmetic surgery. Due to the standards imposed by the filters on the social networks, the patients’ requirements become more and more unrealistic.
Regardless of age, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok or other social media platforms are already part of many people’s daily lives.
Excessive access to social networks exposes us to a perfect world in terms of the most successful photos. Although everyone is aware that those pictures are not a realistic picture, the comparison with the utopia exposed online is inevitable.
For example, in the past, these standards were set by Hollywood stars and top models. Fifteen years ago, we didn’t see our faces and bodies so often, except in photo albums. While nowadays, this happens every day, whether it’s a video call with loved ones or an online meeting. All this has an impact on people’s psyche, making them more aware and concerned about their appearance.
In my experience, I consider it important to communicate with each patient. The desire to be in trend will always exist. The problem is that these trends are changing fast. Some procedures, being irreversible, can have a negative psychological impact on the patient, worsening his long-term condition.
The critical question is, how realistic are patients’ wishes? This is where the obligation of specialists in the field comes in, to guide patients and their requirements in a way that is as healthy as possible and anchored to reality.
In most cases, patients come with images taken from social media and want to look exactly like that picture, regardless of features, skin elasticity and many other factors. Therefore, it is very important for us, the specialists, to make the patient aware of the need for the operation, the fact that that image is often not the reality and the emotional impact of the “transformation” after the operation.
Trends in Cosmetic Surgery
There are many patients who, no matter how many cosmetic surgeries they perform, are still not satisfied with their image in the mirror and resort to more and more transformations, without taking into account that in the long run the body will suffer, here the problem is one of psychological nature.
It is a sensitive area in working with the patient’s psyche, in teaching him to accept himself with small “improvements” where they are needed or maybe not at all.
The trust that a surgeon who sees perfection on a person’s face and body gives to a patient is undeniable.
