Selfie craze sees 33% rise in plastic surgery

This can be a good thing, according to Dr. Sam Rizk, a favoured New York City plastic surgeon who’s now operating in Dubai.

Risk stated that the high statistics are probably due to the recent popularity of filter-based apps like Instagram and FaceTune.

Because selfies are taken close up, they tend to exaggerate certain facial features, such as a double chin or a large nose. With filters, these characteristics can be improved.

According to the surgeon, many of his clients bring the filtered photos of themselves to their first consultations.

Though it sounds drastic, Risk said this can be a good thing, as it shows him exactly how the patient would improve his or her own appearance.

Through the photos, Risk understands that his patients “would rather enhance their own natural beauty than look like somebody else.”

However, another survey by the AAFPRS shows that 13 percent of facial plastic surgeons witnessed an increase in requests for celebrity-inspired procedures in 2014. This was up from 3 percent in 2013 and 7 percent in 2012.

Apparently, the most wanted “features” were Angelina Jolie’s lips and cheekbones, Beyoncé’s facial structure, Kim Kardashian’s eyes and jawline, Brad Pitt’s nose, and Natalie Portman’s nose.

President of the AAFPRS, Stephen S. Park, said: “Some people are attracted to the power, fame and attention that being a celebrity brings. It’s important to remember that simply changing your appearance will not give you the same level of recognition.”

“Celebrity photos are so often re-touched that their images are distorted which can result in unrealistic expectations that propel consumers to seek excessive or extreme surgeries,” Park added.

Last year, the organisation saw a surge in self-awareness and aesthetic procedures requests (especially in people under 30) which was encouraged by “selfies.”