In the past 5 years, social media has had an enormous influence on our everyday lives. We use it to get the latest news converse with like-minded individuals, and even to find restaurant recommendations. And it doesn’t stop there.

Recently released statistics from the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) have revealed that social media now plays a significant role in peoples’ decisions to undergo elective surgery.

The study showed that there was a 31% increase in requests for surgery as a result of social media photo sharing, with rhinoplasty, Botox and facelifts topping the list of most requested.

It is certainly no surprise to me, as a social media addict, that such a phenomenon has begun, with the popularity of sites such as Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest sky-rocketing in the last year alone. We are now a society which shares more and more what we do at every point of our lives with strangers. And nor are we afraid to admit that we may have had a little nip or tuck here and there.

While I am not adverse to sharing an amazing dining or pamper experience, there is a risk that people will seek procedures for things they don’t actually need simply to keep up with the Jones’.
And as demand rises, so too will cut-price offers and deals which as we have already discussed, put our industry at risk of becoming inundated with unprofessional opportunists who see an easy way to make a quick buck.

That said, we should all be very proud of the industry in which we work. Since I helped to launch PRIME 2 years ago, we have witnessed the industry hit by countless criticism and scandal, but of the physicians whom I have met and had the pleasure to work with, none have let it affect the professional way in which they carry out their work, but have continued to raise the bar for their peers on a worldwide basis. And this is something of which we should all be proud — and most definitely share on our Facebook pages.