Turning to plastic surgery for selfie perfect look

Lip fillers, Botox sales increase due to quest for perfect selfie

MIAMI – Social media has us swimming in a sea of smiling faces, and more aware than ever of our facial flaws and imperfections.

“We're actually seeing ourselves right there on the screen, and looking at ourselves much more closely than we ever have before,“ Dr. Jacob Steiger, a plastic surgeon, said. "Ten years ago, we were looking a photo albums, now we see ourselves in real time, live, all the time.“

That pressure to look good from all angles  has more people turning to plastic surgeons and dermatologists.

More than 40 percent of doctors in a recent survey said patients told them looking better on social media was their  incentive for getting a cosmetic procedure. 

"People want their image to look like these celebrities that they see out there, so they are looking for something that's quick--  no down time and not super expensive," Miami Beach dermatologist Dr. Martin Zaiac said. 

Case in point: 27-year-old Miami event coordinator Maylin Perez.

Perez has almost 4,000 people follow on Instagram, but when she looks at herself on social media she sees  room for improvement.

"I think that in photos you can see more of your flaws, more than in a mirror.  I don't know why. Maybe it's a certain angle or the way you are holding the phone," Perez said.

Her quest  for that  picture perfect post  brought Perez to see Zaiac. who's working to reshape her lips with  fillers.

"I started noticing that my lips were kind of uneven. I wanted a symmetrical look that people like Kylie Jenner and the Kardashians," Perez said.

Not only has the number of cosmetic procedures gone up about 115 percent in the U.S. since the year 2000, but the kinds of procedures are also shifting  because of social media.

Lip fillers and Botox are the top sellers among selfie lovers.

And some patients are opting for more invasive procedures. Such as eye lifts and nose jobs.

"Some of my patients see others on Instagram or Facebook, ‘Oh I like this lip or nose,’ they come in and say ‘I wish my nose looked like this or more contoured or my lips were more enhanced,’” Steiger said.

That's why Maximo Cortese, 26, recently had rhinoplasty -- his nose just wasn't Facebook friendly.

"I was fine with front-on angles, but you get that profile before I did my nose and it was augh," Cortese said.

He said the lack of control when it came to what his friends posted was the problem. Today, Cortese jumps into pictures without a second thought.

"It's great now, like fire away," Cortese said. "Little things like wearing a hat backwards is great. I couldn't before because it strengthened my profile. So even being able to do that now is awesome."

The social media craze not likely to fade anytime soon, doctors said they expect to see  even more young patients spending  big bucks for that picture perfect post.

 


About the Author:

Kristi Krueger has built a solid reputation as an award-winning medical reporter and effervescent anchor. She joined Local 10 in August 1993. After many years co-anchoring the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m., Kristi now co-anchors the noon newscasts, giving her more time in the evening with her family.