The Truth About Snapchat Dysmorphia
December 4, 2019
In addition to adorable puppy ears, floral headpieces, and new pairs of sunglasses to try on, Snapchat also offers face-perfecting filters that instantly smooth out your skin and give you bigger eyes, a smaller nose, and a thinner face. While it may seem all fun and games at first, teenagers can become obsessed with their filtered selfies and may go to great, social media-approved lengths to be able to “Facetune” their faces in real life, with the help of a cosmetic surgeon. Those who choose to undergo plastic surgery in New York City to look like their pixel-perfect selfies may be suffering from an underlying mental health condition called Snapchat Dysmorphia.
What Is Snapchat Dysmorphia?
Social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram and photo-editing apps like Facetune are contributing to a dangerous trend where people are feeling insecure about not looking as beautiful and flawless as their own filtered selves that have garnered ego-boosting hearts and “likes” from their followers.
Dubbed as “Snapchat Dysmorphia” by a group of dermatologists at Boston University, this new phenomenon has patients seeking out cosmetic surgeries in an attempt to look identical with the filtered versions of themselves –with a thinner nose, bigger eyes, and fuller lips. The paper which was published in the JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery Viewpoint also mentions how Snapchat Dysmorphia is a new twist on the condition known as Body Dysmorphic Disorder in which people have an excessive preoccupation with their perceived flaws. What is happening right now is a significant rise in “selfie” surgery requests and instead of patients bringing in photos of celebrities who possess their ideal nose or face shape, they are now presenting highly-edited selfies fit for an airbrushed cover of a glossy magazine. “This is an alarming trend because those filtered selfies often present an unattainable look and are blurring the line of reality and fantasy for these patients,” the paper read.
Social media, it seems, is shaping our concept of beauty and is putting the spotlight on our flaws as we attempt to achieve physical perfection offline. No matter how advanced and innovative the techniques in plastic surgery are today, attempting to measure up to your altered images can be unrealistic, unattainable, and unhealthy. This is why it is important that you consult with a double-board certified facial plastic surgeon like Dr. Philip Miller. Dr. Miller and his team can help you achieve healthy aesthetic changes that can highlight your natural, unfiltered beauty.
No Filter Needed
Dr. Miller and his New York team can help you healthily achieve your aesthetic goals. His expertise ensures you will have a natural and refreshed look, not just what you see in altered and heavily filter pictures.
Dr. Miller has a variety of options, from surgical procedures such as rhinoplasty, neck lift, chin implant, jawline augmentation, and otoplasty, to non-surgical options that can be done over a lunch break.
Non-Surgical Treatment Options
Some of the best available treatments today don’t even need a scalpel and can be done in a lunch hour with minimal downtime. And what is brilliant about these non-surgical procedures is that you will still look like yourself –just fresher, younger, and more radiant with glowing skin, a sharper nose, and a taut jawline. These are the non-surgical face and skin-transforming treatments that can be performed by Dr. Miller:
Non-Surgical Rhinoplasty
Also referred to as a liquid rhinoplasty, a non-surgical nose job allows the surgeon to subtly alter the nose’s size, shape, position of the nasal tip, as well as straighten the nose and hide bumps through the use of injectable fillers.
A non-surgical nose job is a pain-free alternative to surgical procedures for correcting undesirable nasal characteristics. And since injectable fillers are used, the results are immediate. In addition, if you are unsatisfied with the results, the fillers can be dissolved within 24 hours. Non-surgical rhinoplasty has no long-term effects, making you a potential candidate for a traditional rhinoplasty in the future should you still desire to undergo the procedure. A MicroRhinoplasty™ is a less invasive alternative to a traditional rhinoplasty as well.
Dr. Miller is considered one of the country’s leading experts in rhinoplasty and facial rejuvenation and has even lectured on innovative rhinoplasty techniques as well as written chapters for rhinoplasty textbooks.
Botox
Those who want to look more youthful by smoothing their fine lines and wrinkles are good candidates for Botox injections. FDA-approved to treat crow’s feet and frown lines, Botox works by blocking nerve impulses to the facial muscles, causing dynamic wrinkles to soften and relax. Skin will appear smoother and less wrinkled, giving you a refreshed and rejuvenated appearance.
Dermal Fillers
With over 20 years of experience, Dr. Miller is recognized as an expert in facial rejuvenation procedures, including filler injections. Dermal fillers are made from hyaluronic acid (HA) which is a natural substance within the skin that’s responsible for keeping the skin supple and hydrated while adding volume. We lose HA as we age, resulting in skin’s lack of moisture, strength, and volume. When injected into the skin (cheeks, around the eyes and mouth area, chin, or lips), fillers will replace lost volume to plump and contour the face. Examples of dermal fillers include Juvéderm and its products (Voluma, Ultra, Ultra Plus, and Volbella), Restylane, and Radiesse (calcium hydroxylapatite).
Dermal fillers combined with Botox can work wonders in rejuvenating the face. They create a powerful anti-aging treatment that gives the face a natural lift as they relax and fill in those lines, wrinkles, and hollow areas while redefining the contours of the face.
Treatments For Skin Resurfacing and Tightening
Laser, light, and energy devices can help address signs of aging such as fine lines and wrinkles, blemishes, and pigmentation through short and direct pulsating beams of light that create heat points or micro-injuries in various depths of the skin, triggering the skin’s natural healing process. Skin becomes smoother, tighter, and clearer, with improved tone and texture. Examples of treatments include:
- CO2 Resurfacing Laser Treatment – creates microscopic treatment areas where shafts of intense light penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin. During the healing process, old, damaged skin is replaced with new skin that is smoother, tighter, and more radiant. The laser effectively treats acne scars, blotchy skin, deeper wrinkles, and scars from surgery or trauma.
- Ultherapy – Dr. Miller is among the first in New York City to offer the Ultherapy treatment for toning and lifting loose, lax skin without any downtime. It uses safe ultrasound energy to trigger collagen production, resulting in tighter skin and a more youthful, contoured appearance on the brow, chin, and neck.
- Fractora & Fractora Firm – Fractora utilizes fractional radiofrequency technology to resurface the skin, effectively correcting common skin concerns such as fine lines and deep wrinkles, redness, brown spots, visible blood vessels, and poor skin texture. On the other hand, Fractora Firm is an advanced skin rejuvenation treatment that uses thermal energy to deeply heat beneath the skin, stimulating collagen formation which results in tighter, more youthful, and glowing skin.
Choosing the Right Surgeon
Focusing exclusively on the face for more than two decades in New York City, double board-certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. Philip Miller seamlessly blends art and science with skill and innovation to provide his thousands of patients with impeccable results. With his compassionate and empathetic approach to treating patients, he will work with you to highlight your best attributes instead of focusing on your flaws. And with the many non-surgical procedures he can perform, transformation need not be drastic. Enhancing your features could mean subtle yet beautiful, natural-looking results that will help you achieve the best version of yourself.
Consult With New York’s Facial Plastic Surgery Specialist
Dr. Philip Miller and his team of top-rated facial plastic surgery experts can provide you with a custom cosmetic treatment plan consisting of a combination of advanced, non-surgical procedures that will help you achieve the Aesthetic Confidence you desire. To learn more, contact Dr. Miller today.
Focusing exclusively on the face for more than two decades, double-board certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. Philip Miller blends art and science with innovation and skill to provide thousands of patients with impeccable results. He is known for pioneering the NatraLook methodology for rhinoplasty, facelifts, neck lifts, and other cosmetic procedures for the face.
