In the past comparing to celebrities drove body-image trends but today one can use photo-editing app FaceTune to plump your lips, shrink your nose and sharpen that jawline. “British plastic surgeon Tijion Esho dubbed it ‘Snapchat Dysmorphia’…”. Cosmetic surgeons are increasingly being asked to “bridge that gap” between edited-selfie and current reality. Renee Engeln Author of “Beauty Sick: How the Cultural Obsession with Appearance Hurts Girls and Women” states that “It’s devastating when those two versions don’t line up”. Michael Reilly, a cosmetic and reconstructive surgeon, says “it’s crucial to understand how enhancements influence perceptions in real life”. Others “care about if they want to engage with you” not whether you look younger. Reilly points out however, changing a specific problematic feature often improves self-confidence, personal life and even one’s business life. In contrast, Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is different being characterized rather by multiple imagined or seemingly real physical flaws brought out by photo-editing. Suggestions from Psychology Today. Understand that celebrity beauty may be unrealistic or all consuming, see your complete self rather than focus on negatives realizing your appearance is not “all-or-nothing” and lastly take longer breaks from social media.
Read the full article Psychology Today January/February 2020 pp28-30
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