National Selfie Day – What Doctors Say

The 21th of June is the National Selfie Day in US and we felt we should make a reference on this day as well as to the crucial influence of Selfies in Cosmetic Surgery. Though there is no solid proof that Selfies are responsible for the almost 20{f4e1575822752660c3387461b06f16047197db710b64f29e8565d582c3a8cd4f} boost of cosmetic procedures in only a matter of 12 months (2014 to 2015) noone doubts that the influence of selfies is critical. We’ve published multiple articles refering to the vanity that is connected with this issue of selfies (check this, this.

But what doctors say? Dr. Dara Liotta, MD, a plastic surgeron based on Manhattan claims that selfies have affected in a very specific way the cosmetic industry. Dr. Liotta says that selfies have made youngsters ask for very limited operations in order for minor changes that will make the perfect selfie possible. Dr. Liotta says: “Many social media platforms, including Instagram and Snapchat, are image-based, and our presence on these platforms forces us to see our own image repeatedly, and to look at our image with a more self-critical eye than ever before” and adds “Gone are the days of a morning farewell to ourselves in the mirror and a quick passing glance at our reflection in the Bergdorf’s window during the day. We are now forced to gaze at, and compare, our self-selfies and the selfies of others on a constant basis”.

The doctor also believes that the rather new option of the front-facing camera as well as the flipped-image effect is another reason that boosts the whole selfie culture and its effect in cosmetics industry. Dr. Liotta explains: “Whether or not a selfie is reversed after being shot is a major factor in how we perceive our photo. If you’ve used multiple mobile apps to take pictures of yourself, you’ve probably noticed that some, like Snapchat, show you the view of yourself that you would see in a mirror, and that others, like GroupMe, flip the image horizontally and save your selfie the way others would see you. We are used to seeing our image in the mirror, and we’ve grown accustomed to our mirror faces, and familiarity breeds liking. When our mirror image is flipped (this is what others see), it often looks strange and less attractive to us”.