Going under the knife for party selfies

NOT only the most wonderful time of the year, Christmas is, for most people, the most sociable.

With work parties, family get-togethers and trips to the pub to see old schoolmates all on the cards, it’s understandable that the majority of us want to look our best.

So that means maybe a quick trim and slick of new eyeshadow, right?

Judging by recent trends, a new hair-do or some extra make-up is no longer going to cut it – if you really want to look good this party season, join the growing number of people getting cosmetic surgery for Christmas.

And one of the main reasons people are going under the knife (or needle or syringe)? Selfies.

After all, if you didn’t take a selfie at a social engagement, were you even really there?

Unlike normal photos taken from a distance, selfies raise the risk of the dreaded under-eye dark circles, particularly at winter parties with overhead lighting. “For selfies with overhead lighting and holiday parties, the undereye really gets those dark circles accentuated, so that's a big one,” Dr Dara Liotta, a facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon from New York explains. So the obvious solution is cosmetic surgery. According to RealSelf’s community of board-certified experts, there’s an increasing number of people booking cosmetic procedures in the run-up to the festive season, both for non-invasive surgery like botox and more drastic operations like facelifts and breast enlargements. Liotta has seen a particular rush for injectables before the Christmas parties get under way – that’s to say botox, under-eye and cheek fillers, and injection rhinoplasties. Unlike a nose-job, Liotta can’t actually make a nose smaller by carrying out an injection rhinoplasty, however she can make light hit it in a more flattering way. – The Independent