In days past, the mirror or a printed picture was how we conceived of ourself. It has been said that at any one time we are three different people, how others see us, how we see ourselves and the way we really look. A normal person is probably the one in which all three images closely resemble each other. One becomes more abnormal the more different these image perceptions are.
But today there is a fourth perception…an electronic one whether it is on the internet or on one’s smartphone. (or should I say mobile internet connection) Now people are becoming more self-aware of these images as they are no longer stuffed in a drawer for few to see but can be instantly seen by almost anyone around the world if they desire and have internet access. People are increasingly interested in how they look online and whether they will be ‘liked’ by others in a Facebook, Instagram or Tinder world.
Patients are now seen by plastic surgeons who have complaints about the way they look based on their online photos or in the image feedback from their smartphone, Facetime or Skype connection. People see their faces as bloated, fat or lacking a smooth jawline. Their nose may be too big or that loose neck skin may have become more apparent. While some say this promotes plastic surgery to look good in the digital world, more likely it is just making people more aware of how they really look. To some degree many of us walk around with images of we looked in college or in wedding photos when we really haven’t looked quite like that in years.
This ‘digital reflection’ phenomena is certainly real as recent studies have shown that plastic surgeons have reported a definite increase in the number of social media-induced surgeries. But it is not to the point that people are walking in saying ‘please make me look better on Facebook’. What people are seeing is their faces in real time and they do not like what they see. Some may credit this to a distortion in their faces caused by the lens on the camera or webcam but the reality is that such distortions do not really exist in modern day imaging equipment like they did in the past.
These images are real because they are not ‘biased’. When we look in the mirror we usually do not take an honest look. We tilt our heads a certain way or create an angle which we think looks the best. This hides our imperfections. Sometimes these facial angles are deliberate because the flaws are known. Often times they are not, however, and this is what is finally revealed in social media imaging.
While people could easily take a non-surgical route to changing their appearance via Photoshopping and other forms of digital editing, most people want to look better all the time not just online. This can be done by a variety of facial procedures from rhinoplasty, chin augmentations and cheek implants in younger people to facelifts, eyelid lifts, Botox and fillers in older adults.
One branded procedure that has been inspired by this phenomenon is the Facetime Facelift. While sounding exotically different from other facial rejuvenation procedures, it is another variation of the many available types of limited or short scar facelifts. Falling into the category of the Lifestyle Lift or Quicklift, it is one doctor’s variation of a neck and jowl line lift that is less in magnitude than a full lower neck and jowl lift. Any of these facial procedures will make one look better in any picture, whether it is of a printed or digital variety.
One thing that is clear is that the amount of time all of us spend on electronic and digital media will increase as time goes on, perhaps exponentially on a societal basis. With your pictures inevitably flying all over the internet and with you having little control of them, people will continue to want to look their best. The fourth dimension of personal perception, your Digital Beauty Index, may eventually become as important as any of the more traditional real-life visual perceptions.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana