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Social media is behind the surge in plastic surgeries
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Social networking site Facebook is behind a surge in plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures, experts believe. People don't like the way they look in the photos they post on social media.
Facebook, Skype video chat and other modern means of communication force us to regularly show our own photos or videos. And if earlier we put up with an unsuccessful nose or wrinkles, now, when hundreds and thousands of people see them, we no longer want to tolerate these imperfections.
This explains the growing popularity of various plastic surgeries from facelifts to rhinoplasty. Of course, many people use photo editors to correct facial imperfections, but for a significant part, this is not enough. They want to look young and attractive. That is why plastic surgeons are already starting to use procedures with names like FaceTime Facelift (facelift for the popular video chat).
"Of course, people don't come to me specifically to order a plastic surgery called FaceTime Facelift," says American plastic surgeon Robert Segal. "They say, 'Doc, I don't like the way I look during a video chat. My face gets puffy and I get a double chin.' That's when I offer a new procedure.
Especially since when using Skype or FaceTime, people often bend their heads low, which causes unsightly areas of skin to appear on their faces. According to Segal, his patients often say: "I used to look at myself in the mirror and didn't notice any flaws. But when I saw myself on Facebook or via video chat, everything became obvious."
"And this is understandable," says the doctor. "When you look in the mirror, you see a mirror image of yourself. And when you look at pictures on social media, you see how the world sees you. Often, this picture diverges from your ideas about yourself."
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