Social media has had a profound effect on the way we communicate and how we live our lives. According to recent CBS news story social media also has an effect on the reasons some people choose plastic surgery. According to the article many women take their appearance to the extreme, including choosing cosmetic surgery and other procedures, to get the perfect Facebook photo post. “It’s nice when you look good and when somebody tells you look good,” Marija Vrbanic said as her reason for searching out the perfect Facebook photo post appearance. Nicole Rodrigues summed it up this way, “It’s kind of this obsession about wanting to get liked on a picture.” Sonia Bambdas is a Facebook user with a number of “friends “from abroad and in various cities so they follow her life on Facebook, keep in touch and that’s the way they communicate. So,” it’s natural to want to look good,” said Bambdas. The psychologist in the article stressed that it’s important to find balance between the way you look and how you feel about yourself. Dr. Kim explains to patients in the initial consultation that their desire for cosmetic surgery whether it is a facelift or breast augmentation should always be based on a personal decision to enhance their appearance not for the approval of others. Cosmetic plastic surgery is rooted in results that can be very subjective. If patients are having surgery with the intent of gaining more “likes” on Facebook and it doesn’t happen, does that mean the surgery was not a success? Suppose someone post a negative comment concerning a patient’s appearance? Does that mean the patient made a mistake having plastic surgery? Dr. Kim uses his experience with both surgical skill and artistic talent to help patients understand that achieving your most natural and youthful appearance for your own gratification is the best way to ensure a good patient experience.
