The selfie trend is leading to more plastic surgery

Almost everybody with a smartphone has probably taken a selfie. The practical needs of taking loads of close-ups of your own face are dubious, and many have pointed to it being rather narcissistic, but perhaps it is leading to something even more serious: a rise in plastic surgery procedures. Sure, we’ve always had mirrors, but they provide us with a very limited range self-perspectives, all pinned to one room, one set of lighting, and just a few angles for a few moments. One consequence of the selfie trend is that we’re starting to see our own faces far more than we ever did before, at a closer range, in flattering situations and in bad lighting. While a relationship between two events doesn't prove causality, it is thoroughly plausible that this new level of self-examination is leading to a major rise in facial plastic surgery. According to a recent survey by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, plastic surgeons are reporting that their patients are saying they want to look better online.