The Selfie Generation and Plastic Surgery

A growing number of people are turning to plastic surgery and professional make-up artists to improve their selfie image. “Selfies, or self portraits, rose in popularity along with smartphones and social media sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Instagram as a mostly young adult crowd posted images of themselves. Now everyone from Hollywood stars to prime ministers takes selfies. ... Plastic surgeons in United States have seen a surge in demand for procedures ranging from eye-lid lifts to rhinoplasty, popularly known as a nose job, from patients seeking to improve their image in selfies and on social media. A poll by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) of 2,700 of its members showed that one in three had seen an increase in requests for procedures due to patients being more aware of their image in social media. ... ‘There has been a 25 percent increase over the past year and a half to two years. That is very significant,’ Dr. Sam Rizk, a plastic surgeon, said about his Manhattan practice. ‘They come in with their iPhones and show me pictures,’ Rizk, 47, added. ‘Selfies are just getting to be so crazy’” (“The Selfie Is Driving a Huge Demand for Plastic Surgery in the US,” Reuters, Nov. 30, 2014).

(Friday Church News Notes, December 12, 2014, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)

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