It’s the age of selfies, much to the dismay of some medical professionals. The photography technology on smartphones has become so incredible that people are looking to mimic the effect that filters on photography apps, like slimmer cheeks or bigger eyes, have on the face—permanently.
“Snapchat dysmorphia,” as it’s been named, refers to the recent trend of patients bringing in pictures of themselves that have been heavily edited by a filter that adds freckles, lengthens eyelashes, and clears up the skin, among other effects. It’s so widespread that researchers from Boston University School of Medicine’s Department of Dermatology published an opinion piece about it in the journal JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery. In 2017, a survey from the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery found that 55 percent of surgeons reported seeing patients who wanted surgery to look better in selfies, an increase of 13 percent over the 2016 survey.
Frankly, the trend is concerning to many physicians. Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), which falls on the obsessive-compulsive spectrum, refers to a condition in which people fixate on negative thoughts about their real or perceived physical flaws. “Snapchat dysmorphia” can trigger full-fledged BDD, researchers say, a serious mental health condition. Additionally, the idea of wiping away flaws instantly, as an app filter does, simply isn’t realistic—and that leads to a number of exasperated doctors trying to manage expectations to disappointed patients.
