snapchat dysmorphia is causing teens to seek surgery to look like their favourite filters

it seems our obsession with social media and selfies is catching up on us. cosmetic surgeon dr. neelam vashi, director of the ethnic skin center at boston medical center, has coined the term ‘snapchat dysmorphia’ to explain the worrying new trend of teens seeking surgery based on the way they look after they have applied snapchat filters. 

according to a viewpoint paper she recently published in the journal of the american medical association’s facial plastic surgery, ‘filters and edits have become the norm, altering people’s perception of beauty worldwide’. using in-editing features on instagram, filters on snapchat and third party apps like facetune give users the power to out skin, make teeth look whiter and eyes and lips bigger, mimicking the results of a 1-2-1 consultation with a cosmetic surgeon.

‘people bring in photos of themselves at certain angles or with certain kinds of lighting,’ she said in an interview with inverse. ‘I just see a lot of images that are just really unrealistic, and it sets up unrealistic expectations for patients because they’re trying to look like a fantasized version of themselves.’

the ability to edit oneself so easily is altering people’s approach to surgery. vashi says that prior to the popularity of selfies, the most common complaint from those seeking rhinoplasty was the hump of the dorsum of the nose. today, nasal and facial asymmetry is the more common presenting concern. along with rhinoplasties, hair transplants and eyelid surgical procedures are also popular requests to improve selfie appearance.