The Controversial “Video Chat Facelift”
We do our best to keep on top of trends in the Big Apple, so we weren’t too surprised by the frenzy surrounding what’s sometimes called the video chat facelift. New York residents network with friends and colleagues around the world in just about every way possible, including through Skype and the FaceTime feature on iPhones. Local media outlets have been abuzz with discussion about people seeking a facelift to look better as they interact electronically.
We were taken aback a bit, though, by some of the criticism leveled at plastic surgeons who market facial plastic surgery by connecting it with new ways to “chat.” We were also dismayed to hear patients condemned for admitting that video conferencing prompted them to seek rejuvenation.
In our view, it makes sense that video conferencing might encourage someone to consider a facelift for a few reasons. First, when you see yourself via webcam or smartphone, you can’t harbor many illusions about your appearance. There’s no soft lighting and no flattering angles—it’s all you, front and center. Lines, wrinkles and saggy areas come into sharp focus.
Not only that, as one plastic surgeon pointed out in an article about the video chat facelift in the New York Times last year, people tend to look downward a bit when on camera, just about the worst angle possible. It emphasizes nasolabial folds running from nose to mouth, a jowly look to the jaw and excess tissue below the neck. Fortunately, these features are just the ones a facelift—often combined with a neck lift—can address.
Rather than viewing plastic surgeons marketing “FaceTime Facelifts” as overly opportunistic and their patients as vain, in our book this is just what happens as society evolves. As aspects of our world change, such as technology or fashion, people want to change too.
While you might question the far out fringes of trendy plastic surgery—such as people opting for horns implanted in their forehead—looking into a facelift because you don’t like your appearance on Skype doesn’t seem too extreme to us. Rather, we see it as technology enabling people to get a more accurate picture of their appearance. And board certified plastic surgeons adept at facial rejuvenation can assist those who want to make improvements.
If you would like to learn more from us about rejuvenation, fill out our simple contact form or call us in Manhattan at 212-570-6080.
