Jul 01 2017 : The Times of India (Chennai)
More under-40 women getting nipped & tucked
AGENCIES
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Social Media's Vanity Culture Is Triggering Appearance Anxiety In People, Say Experts
Growing numbers of younger women are re portedly resorting to plastic surgery so they look good on social media.While liposuction, tummy tucks, facelifts and Botox are generally associated with people trying to stave off the ravages of old age later in life -London-based plastic surgeon Dr Julian De Silva says now it's often women who haven't even hit middle age.
The average age of women going under the knife is now 39 -down from 42 just five years ago. Meanwhile for men, the average age has fallen from 47 to 45 years, which is what the Oxford English Dictionary defines as the beginning of middle age.
De Silva, who uncovered the figures, said: “There is no doubt the Instagram culture is having an effect on some younger patients. The desire to look good has never been stronger.“ The doctor also said that social media gives more visibility to those who've undergone procedures. Dr De Silva, who researched 2,000 patient records over the past five years, said high-profile cases such as Olympian swimmer Rebecca Adlington's rhinoplasty, or a nose job, had an effect.
He added: “Millennial women see the obvious benefits of surgery such as Rebecca's and think, `Why wait until my 40s?'“ His research found 53% of people want to change how we look and 63% would have an operation if they had the cash.
Plastic surgery has been gaining ground among an ever younger dempgraphic all over the world. The UK's Nuffield Council on Bioethics recently raised alarm on the influence of social media in engendering “appearance anxiety“, especially in children.
Jeanette Edwards, professor of social anthropology at the University of Manchester, who chaired the council's inquiry , said: “We've been shocked by some of the evidence we've seen, including make-over apps and cosmetic surgery `games' that target girls as young as nine.“
According to a report in `The Telegraph', the games in clude plastic surgery simulators which show them how their body could be altered. “ A number of apps... have been removed from Apple's app stores, after online petitions. But they have been replaced by other simulators which encourage children to try plastic surgery virtually,“ the report added.
“There is a daily bombardment from advertising and through social media channels like FB, Instagram and Snapchat that relentlessly promote unrealistic and often discriminatory messages on how people, especially girls and women, `should' look,“ Edwards added.
The average age of women going under the knife is now 39 -down from 42 just five years ago. Meanwhile for men, the average age has fallen from 47 to 45 years, which is what the Oxford English Dictionary defines as the beginning of middle age.
De Silva, who uncovered the figures, said: “There is no doubt the Instagram culture is having an effect on some younger patients. The desire to look good has never been stronger.“ The doctor also said that social media gives more visibility to those who've undergone procedures. Dr De Silva, who researched 2,000 patient records over the past five years, said high-profile cases such as Olympian swimmer Rebecca Adlington's rhinoplasty, or a nose job, had an effect.
He added: “Millennial women see the obvious benefits of surgery such as Rebecca's and think, `Why wait until my 40s?'“ His research found 53% of people want to change how we look and 63% would have an operation if they had the cash.
Plastic surgery has been gaining ground among an ever younger dempgraphic all over the world. The UK's Nuffield Council on Bioethics recently raised alarm on the influence of social media in engendering “appearance anxiety“, especially in children.
Jeanette Edwards, professor of social anthropology at the University of Manchester, who chaired the council's inquiry , said: “We've been shocked by some of the evidence we've seen, including make-over apps and cosmetic surgery `games' that target girls as young as nine.“
According to a report in `The Telegraph', the games in clude plastic surgery simulators which show them how their body could be altered. “ A number of apps... have been removed from Apple's app stores, after online petitions. But they have been replaced by other simulators which encourage children to try plastic surgery virtually,“ the report added.
“There is a daily bombardment from advertising and through social media channels like FB, Instagram and Snapchat that relentlessly promote unrealistic and often discriminatory messages on how people, especially girls and women, `should' look,“ Edwards added.
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