The camera lies: how distorted selfies may be behind booming demand for plastic surgery
Selfies could be behind Dubai’s booming plastic surgery industry because closeup photos give a distorted impression of the size of the nose, new research has found.
Experts in Dubai have warned that selfies could damage a person’s mental health as the images are responsible for inaccurate self perceptions.
Researchers at Rutger University in New Jersey said evidence from a mathematical model supported the theory that close-ups distorted facial dimensions.
They found that selfies taken 30 centimetres away from the face increased the perceived size of the nose by 30 per cent in men and 29 per cent in women when compared with photographs taken from the standard portrait distance of 1.5 metres.
The results led doctors involved in the research to claim the increasing popularity of selfies could be helping increase demand for nose jobs. Dr Bander Al Aithan, of the Bella Roma Medical and Aesthetic Surgery Centre, told a Dubai conference that rising demand for plastic surgery was being helped by social media.
“Body dysmorphic syndrome is a psychological condition that affects the patient’s perception of how their body looks,” Dr Al Aithan said.
“We acknowledge this condition and recognise it within the industry, and doctors should not be operating on patients if this is recognised. They should be referred to a psychologist instead.
“Most of these patients will go to several plastic surgeons to try to get surgery done.”
Non-surgical nose jobs using Botox and filler are becoming more popular with clients, Dr Al Aithan said. Patients can see changes within a few days rather than the six months it takes for rhinoplasty to take full effect.
Data for the US study was collected from a random sample of ethnically and racially diverse subjects.
The perceived change in nose breadth in men and women was tested from several selfie distances.
Study authors backed further research to determine whether patients who take frequent selfies are less satisfied with their clinical outcomes, and if this distortion has any bearing on future medical decisions.
The authors said additional models were necessary to explore the effect at vertical and horizontal camera angles.
The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery said 64 per cent of its surgeon members had seen an increase in cosmetic surgery or injectable treatment in patients under 30 because of social media and selfies.
More than half of the surgeons said patients turned to cosmetic surgery to stay competitive in the workplace, while 82 per cent of patients told doctors they had been inspired to do so by celebrities.
Psychologists in Dubai have reported more men seeking treatment because of a distorted perception of their looks.
“Men have never had to look a certain way but that has changed over the past five to 10 years,” said Reem Shaheen, an Egyptian counselling psychologist at the Clear Minds Centre in Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai.
“Advertising and the media has changed that in the way women have faced body image pressure historically. It is a relatively new thing for men to have to deal with and is providing its own pressure to conform.
“Social media is also driving this industry. It is making it very difficult for young people and children to grow up in this environment with this kind of security and judgment from their peers.
“It creates a lot of bullying and misconceptions.
“That lowers self-esteem and can lead to risky sexual behaviour and depression as they grow up.”
Reseach suggests that increased demand for nose jobs is a result of skewed self-image from phone camera portraits