Wanting to look good in selfies is causing a boom in cosmetic surgery.

By MediaStreet Staff Writers

An organisation called AAFPRS is the world’s largest association for facial plastic surgery. It represents more than 2,500 facial plastic and reconstructive surgeons throughout the world. And they have just released their annual survey, which shows what we are all doing to our heads to look better.

Like it or not, selfies have had a huge effect on how we perceive and project ourselves –  in front of the camera and off.

Selfie Awareness Is Here To Stay

For better or worse, “selfie-awareness” is more than a fad. In 2017, 55 percent of facial plastic surgeons saw patients who want to look better in selfies (up 13 percent from 2016). First identified by AAFPRS members more than three years ago in the annual survey, the trend continues to gain steam and transform the facial plastic surgery industry.

Says AAFPRS President William H. Truswell M.D., “Consumers are only a swipe away from finding love and a new look, and this movement is only going to get stronger.”

And people aren’t at all ashamed of their surgeries. In fact, they are documenting the procedures and sharing them online to seek solidarity and company throughout the process. From public healing diaries to A-list and Insta-celebs baring all on their social media accounts, nothing is off limits when it comes to sharing one’s enhancements and aesthetic edits. From lip injections to chin implants to ear lobe reduction, social media users of 2017 have no shame in sharing their road to self-confidence.

Don’t Mention Age

Surgery is no longer a hush-hush topic. But talking about age is. In 2017, the phrases “anti-aging” and “you look good for your age” were taboo. There is now a focus on health, vitality and empowerment rather than a number.

“This emerging segment is knowledgeable about high tech skincare and sun prevention and starts with facial injectables before they turn thirty,” says Dr. Truswell. “As more Millennials come of age and gain disposable income for aesthetic treatments, our members have seen steady growth in the demand for cosmetic procedures.”

In fact, the average number of procedures performed by AAFPRS members has increased 25 percent since 2012. More than half (56 percent) of AAFPRS members saw an increase in cosmetic surgery or injectables with patients under age 30 last year and over four-fifths of treatments in 2017 were cosmetic non-surgical procedures.

No matter the treatment, a natural-looking outcome is paramount for patients, with 33 percent stating a fear of looking unnatural as their top concern.

The Working Environment

A full 57 percent of facial plastic surgeons reported patients’ desire to stay relevant and competitive at work as a major driver in the decision to have a cosmetic treatment. Advancements in non-invasive and combination technologies are allowing men and women to refresh their appearance with little to no downtime taking them away from work.

Some of the most requested procedures were tailored to these specific lifestyle concerns. Eyelid procedures to look less tired were reported as a rising trend by 73 percent of members along with combined non-surgical procedures by 72 percent of members.

Predictably, Botox remains the most popular minimally invasive procedure for both women and men, followed by fillers and skin treatments.

As for our noses, we all want them changed, apparently. In surgical trends, rhinoplasty leads the way year after year (performed by 97 percent of surgeons in 2017) followed by eyelid surgery, called blepharoplasty (95 percent) and facelifts (88 percent).

Botox was ranked first for women followed by rhinoplasty. However, for men it was reversed with rhinoplasty as the top procedure followed by Botox.

The number of hair transplants in the sample jumped by more than 538 percent in that time span. Non-invasive fat reduction and Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections are newer procedures that facial plastic surgeons are also seeing requested more often.

“PRP is the next frontier, and facial plastic surgeons are eager for more data to illustrate what it can do for skin rejuvenation and how it can be used in combination with lasers, energy based devices, and microneedling and even hair restoration.” says Dr. Truswell.

So it looks like none of us will be aging gracefully. We’d better get good with our local plastic surgeon, seeing as it doesn’t look like this plastic surgery boom will be ending anytime soon.