Pressure to Look Perfect: How Dating Apps and Social Media Are Driving the Surge in Cosmetic Enhancements

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, dating apps have reported a significant increase in users, and despite the pandemic being over, individuals continuously seek the wide outreach dating apps offer to find their person anywhere in the world. In fact, dating website eHarmony predicts that more than 70% of relationships will begin online by 2040 [1]. However, the “swiping” effect and process of determining compatibility based on looks has made users more conscious of enhancing their features, turning to cosmetic treatments.

The Pressure to Put Your Best Face Forward

Anil R. Shah, MD, says the pressure to look like an idealized version of ourselves has never become more important than now. What Shah has noticed is when users alter their photos using software, they tend to not look like their photo in real life, causing potential frustration for a patient and their suitor.  In turn, patients have relied on cosmetic enhancements to match the screen to their real face. 

“Dating apps are highly competitive because everyone is trying to look the best,” Shah says. “The pressure extends to making yourself look like the best version of yourself in real life, [and] cosmetic procedures can do that.”

A negative result of dating app use is the pressure to alter one's appearance due to the appearance-oriented nature of the apps. Face-enhancing filters across social media have led women to change their appearance by seeking non-invasive and invasive procedures [2]. 

A recent study surveyed 308 Australian women aged 18 to 72 and found that nearly half of them had used a dating app in the past two years and one in five reported undergoing at least one cosmetic procedure [2].

A negative result of dating app use is the pressure to alter one's appearance due to the appearance-oriented nature of the apps.Courtesy of terovesalainen at Adobe StockDesirable Impression is the New First Impression 

“People can look at your picture and swipe on it whether they like it or not,” Shah says. “This might seem harsh, but when you’re looking at thousands of photos, you may not have time to really get to know someone; [this] puts a really big emphasis on looks.”

Getting more attention on a dating app or social media, and feeling more confident as a result, as more users desire you, are some of the reasons why many patients have turned to cosmetic surgery and aesthetics, including men, Shah adds. 

Non-surgical procedures, including dermal fillers and anti-wrinkle injections are more common among dating apps users because they have to be repeated and many patients have access to them, Shah says. Breast augmentation and rhinoplasty are common for surgical procedures, but less common overall, he adds.

“More and more men are getting involved as well,” Shah says. “They feel the pressure to look as attractive as possible because the ramifications can be beneficial for them.”

Body dissatisfaction seems to be the biggest motivator for dating app users seeking aesthetics, though Shah says low self-esteem is not as common in his patient population.

The Role Surgeons Play in the Psychological Impact of Aesthetics

Sometimes there is a correlation between self-esteem and cosmetic procedures. Cosmetic surgery is a commonly sought treatment for individuals with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), with 26%-40% of individuals with BDD pursuing cosmetic surgery [3].

While aesthetic treatments can add fuel to body dysmorphia, cosmetic enhancements have also brought individuals closer to their self-perception and aligning them with their ideal self to present more confidently and securely.

It is important to recognize BDD in cosmetic surgery settings, as it appears that cosmetic procedures are rarely beneficial for those who report results were unsatisfactory [4].

To avoid potentially intensifying body dysmorphia, plastic surgeons and practitioners play a key role in determining the rationale for a procedure to ensure patients do not harm themselves under perceived pressures of society and are in a good space mentally to undergo treatments they desire.

Shah says surgeons conduct a nuanced consultation where they ensure patients are truly trying to improve themselves, and not just trying to make themselves into some sort of “caricature.”

It’s not inherently bad for patients to want to look better, Shah adds. 

“More than 50% of my female rhinoplasty patients end up engaged or married within five years,” he says. “I’m not sure that rhinoplasty is the main factor, but sometimes the boost in esteem with a combination of being more attractive can be a nice combination to help them feel their best.”

Plastic surgeon Johnny Franco, MD, says aesthetic treatments go beyond just looking good in photos; they’re about feeling empowered, confident and radiant in all aspects of their lives, he adds. When patients feel their best, that confidence shines through, making them naturally more attractive and magnetic online and offline.

Many of Franco’s patients who are dating turn to non-invasive treatments particularly, like Sofwave, which lifts the skin by stimulating collagen and elastin production. The majority of individuals who wish to look refined offline and online, Franco adds, want to look refreshed with little to no downtime with firmer, smoother skin that reflects the confidence they bring into the dating world.

“With so many patients undergoing life-changing transformations, it’s no surprise they’re more excited than ever to put themselves out there—whether on dating apps or in real life,” Franco says.

References: 

1-https://scienceblog.com/553930/why-dating-apps-are-fueling-cosmetic-procedures?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

2-https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563225000159

3-https://bdd.iocdf.org/expert-opinions/cosmetic-treatments-and-bdd/ 

4-https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1851945/#:~:text=Overall%2C%20the%20studies%20suggest%20that,and%20%E2%80%9Cquality%20of%20life%E2%80%9D.