Researchers with the American Society of Plastic Surgeons have warned selfies contort depictions of ourselves, ‘introducing measurable distortions in the size and perception of facial features’.
As a result, if a particularly bad selfie has you contemplating plastic surgery, think twice, warned studyfind.org, because the new study ‘says that selfie may not be portraying the true you’.
The researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas found selfies often distort the nose more than any other feature, making them appear longer and wider in selfies in comparison to how they appear in traditional photographs.
The team reported social media and selfies in general ‘have contributed mightily to the spike in popularity of cosmetic plastic surgery in recent years’ and emphasised: ‘There is a noted relationship between the increase in selfie photographs and an increase in rhinoplasty requests, particularly among younger patients.’
Rhinoplasty (nose reshaping surgery) is now probably the most common variety of cosmetic plastic surgery – estimates show doctors performed over 352,000 rhinoplasties in 2020 alone.
The study, reported in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, involved 30 volunteers participating in a series of three standard photographs – two with a front-facing smartphone camera 12 and 18 inches away from each volunteer re-creating the act of taking a selfie at different arm angles, followed by a third using a digital single-lens reflex camera at a distance of five feet.
The team compared facial landmark measurements (nose, lip, chin and facial width) between the three photos looking for distortions in the simulated selfies, while each participant completed a survey asking about their personal satisfaction with their appearance in both the selfies and the clinical photographs.
In comparison to the standard clinical photographs:
- the average nose appeared 6.4% longer on 12-inch selfies and 4.3% longer on 18-inch selfies;
- there was also a 12% reduction in the length of chin on 12-inch selfies, causing a 17% increase in the nose-to-chin ratio;
- many selfies also made the base of a nose appear wider in relation to the actual width of the person’s face.
When all three photos were placed side-by-side, the ‘facial differences and selfie-induced distortions were very clear and readily apparent’.
The authors concluded: ‘As the popularity of selfie photography increases, it is crucial to understand how they distort facial features and how patients use them to communicate.’
Lead author and ASPS member surgeon Dr Bardia Amirlak commented: ‘We need to increase awareness of how false perceptions on selfies may affect rhinoplasty requests, perceptions of self-image and subsequent depression and anxiety.’ AMP
