Doctors say they’ve seen a nationwide uptick in patients seeking plastic surgery to look more like the filtered version of themselves that they’ve created using popular apps like Snapchat and Instagram.
According to researchers from Boston University School of Medicine’s Department of Dermatology, the new phenomenon, dubbed “Snapchat dysmorphia,” involves people asking plastic surgeons to reproduce the “instant fix” they see in their own smartphone-edited selfies: an airbrushed version of themselves with fuller lips, bigger eyes or a thinner nose.
Researchers called the trend “alarming” in a recent article in the peer-reviewed journal JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery, noting that “filtered selfies often present an unattainable look and are blurring the line of reality and fantasy for these patients.”
The researchers categorized “Snapchat dysmorphia” as a version of body dysmorphic disorder, a mental condition that causes people to become obsessed with perceived defects in their appearance.
Library of Chadnet | wiki.chadnet.org