WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- A viewpoint article published on Thursday in the journal JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery said the spread of photo-editing technology used on apps like Snapchat was changing the norm of beauty perception, which may take a toll on a person's self-esteem and trigger psychological problems.
The level of physical "perfection" previously seen only on celebrity or beauty magazines is now all over social media, thanks to the face perfection apps, according to authors.
They can lead to body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), an excessive preoccupation with a perceived flaw in appearance, often characterized by people going to great lengths to hide their imperfections, sometimes in an unhealthy manner.
It involves repetitive behaviors like skin picking, and visiting dermatologists or plastic surgeons hoping to change their appearance.
The disorder affects around 2 percent of the population, and is classified on the obsessive-compulsive spectrum.
Authors pointed to studies that showed teen girls who manipulated their photos were more concerned with their body appearance, and those with dysmorphic body image seek out social media as a means of validation.
Another study has shown 55 percent of plastic surgeons report seeing patients who want to improve their appearance in selfies.
"A new phenomenon called Snapchat dysmorphia has popped up," said Neelam Vashi with Boston University School of Medicine, "where patients are seeking out surgery to help them appear like the filtered versions of themselves."
According to the authors, surgery is not the best course of action in these cases, because it will not improve, and may worsen underlying BDD.
They recommend psychological interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy and management of the disorder in an empathetic and non-judgmental way.
"Filtered selfies can make people lose touch with reality, creating the expectation that we are supposed to look perfectly primped all the time," said Vashi.
