Cosmetic surgery to please on social media: a necessity ?

If cosmetic surgery has long been perceived as a subject known as "taboo" and rather reserved for affluent seniors, today at least fifty per cent of clients are between 18 and 35 years old according to a study by l'Express.

But why has cosmetic surgery become so popular with young people? One answer: social media, or more precisely, what we call the "tyranny of smartphones" according to Doctor Marinetti. "Young people no longer see themselves through a mirror but through the images published on social networks," he explains. "They also come in by phone with a hand consultation and show us photos of them," he says, "the objectives of iPhones are tiny and distorting." He finally adds "we are seeing complexes appear which did not exist before."

Another reason for teens to go through cosmetic surgery is the fear of being harassed by cyberbullying. This fairly common phenomenon on social networks can have dramatic consequences as evidenced by the news of recent years, the suicide of teenagers who can no longer bear mockery on the web or at school. According to the AAFPRS, more and more young people under 30 years decide to leap, whether for breast augmentation or rhinoplasty, among other procedures. Moreover, a significant proportion of those registered on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook or Snapchat is included in this age group. Access by young people to cosmetic surgery, however, remains hampered by various reasons: the cost of the operation, the pain experienced, any scars and the length of recovery. Cosmetic surgery does help to correct the appearance, but the use of such an operation should not be motivated by bad reasons.

-Blandine