The Dove brand is widely recognised and admired, particularly for their innovative marketing strategies. One notable example is a radio advertisement they aired some time ago, which cleverly engaged listeners by drawing attention to a normally unnoticed part of the body—the tongue. The ad went as follows:
“Think about your tongue. Normally, you’re not even aware it’s there, but now that it’s been mentioned, you can feel it pressing against your bottom teeth. You might even notice that your tongue feels too long for your mouth, and it doesn’t fit perfectly.”
In just 30 seconds, Dove highlighted how a simple message could make you acutely aware of something as familiar as your own tongue. This concept extends beyond just a clever advertisement. Consider the impact of the hundreds of altered images and videos people encounter daily on social media, all portraying ‘ideal’ physical features.
Subconsciously, social media exposure helps establish unrealistic beauty standards, shaping future patient expectations before they even step into a clinic. In this article, we will examine the role of social media in influencing aesthetic trends, the creation of unrealistic expectations through filtered realities, and how to bridge the gap between these expectations and reality.
The Role of Social Media in Aesthetic Trends
It’s no secret that social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok have transformed the field of aesthetic medicine, establishing new beauty standards driven by influencers and celebrities. These platforms spotlight surgical and non-surgical cosmetic treatments and shape trends that influence patient expectations and desires. In this section, we will explore these dynamics further.
Influencers and Celebrities Setting New Beauty Standards
Influencers and celebrities hold significant sway over beauty trends, with platforms like Instagram and TikTok amplifying their reach. The “Instagram Face” phenomenon – a sculpted, flawless look – has emerged from this influence, where millions of users aspire to emulate their favourite influencers through cosmetic procedures. For example, trends like the surgical cosmetic plastic procedure – the “fox eye” look gained popularity on TikTok, leading to an influx of consultations for similar cosmetic plastic surgical procedures.
However, this trend-driven environment can sometimes blur the line between personal choice and fleeting fads, with influencers often promoting specific procedures without medical knowledge.
Before-and-After Content: The Demand for Visual Transformations
Social media thrives on visual content, and the popularity of before-and-after transformation posts has fuelled the desire for surgical and non-surgical cosmetic aestheticprocedures. These images create narratives of instant beauty enhancement, contributing to the normalisation of cosmetic interventions. Platforms like TikTok have further popularised the “lip filler challenge,” drawing millions of views and driving demand for procedures like Anti-ageing, and Soft-Tissue Augmentation (also known as Dermal Fillers)s. However, the idealised results showcased online can sometimes set unrealistic expectations, leading to patient dissatisfaction (more on this later).
Hashtags and Trends Guiding Patient Desires
Hashtags worldwide such as #aestheticmedicine and #plasticsurgerygoals guide users toward specific cosmetic plastic surgery and non-surgical cosmetic procedures. These hashtags create online communities and are powerful marketing tools within the aesthetic industry. Influencers often leverage these trends to showcase their personal cosmetic journeys, which, in turn, drives the beauty standards that many patients bring into consultation rooms.
As social media continues to shape patient expectations in aesthetic medicine, Cosmetic Practitioners must set realistic goals and manage the influence of these trends on their patients’ choices to help them make informed decisions. Later on in this article, we’ll discuss steps to bridge patients’ expectation-reality gap.
Unrealistic Expectations and the 'Filtered' Reality
This section of our article will highlight the need for greater awareness of the influence of digital alterations and the importance of balancing aesthetic aspirations with reality.
The "Instagram Face": The Desire for a Uniform, Flawless Look
We’ve briefly spoken about the ‘Instagram Face,’ which Instagram has popularised as the ideal beauty standard. This look, characterised by high cheekbones, full lips, and a perfectly contoured jawline, has become the beauty standard many users strive to achieve. The desire for a uniform, flawless look is driven by the frequent portrayal of this aesthetic by influencers and celebrities, resulting in increased demand for non-surgical facial procedures such as Anti-ageing Injections and Soft-Tissue Augmentation (also known as dermal fillers) cosmetic procedures.c
Unfortunately, this standard often fails to acknowledge the natural diversity of facial features, pushing individuals toward procedures that may not align with their unique anatomy or personal identity.
Photoshop and Filters: Distorted Perceptions of Achievable Results
Filters and photo-editing tools on social media contribute heavily to the unrealistic portrayal of beauty. Applications such as Facetune and Photoshop allow users to erase blemishes, smoothen skin, and alter facial features, creating an illusion of perfection. These altered images (or videos) are often presented as reality, distorting perceptions of what can be achieved through cosmetic procedures.
This can lead to patients expecting results that are not attainable in real life, placing unnecessary pressure on cosmetic practitioners and causing potential disappointment post-procedure. The ability to ‘filter out’ imperfections in an image contributes to a culture where people compare themselves to highly edited, artificial standards.
Mental Health Impact: The Toll of Unrealistic Portrayals
The constant exposure to flawless, edited images on social media has been linked to negative mental health outcomes. Studies show that unrealistic beauty standards can contribute to body dysmorphia, low self-esteem, and depression, particularly among younger audiences who are more impressionable.
We’re all aware of the shocking statistic that 54% of women would rather be hit by a bus than be perceived as fat. In all essence, this stat alone should illustrate a patients” need to reach their desired physical appearance outcome (majorly driven by filtered posts they see online). This dissatisfaction can further exacerbate feelings of inadequacy, leading to a harmful cycle of self-criticism and, in extreme cases, repeated surgeries or treatments in pursuit of an impossible ideal. The psychological toll of these unattainable beauty standards underscores the importance of setting realistic expectations in aesthetic medicine.
Patient Education: Bridging the Expectation-Reality Gap
In this section, we’ll discuss ways to bridge the expectation-reality gap of patients by mainly looking at the importance of education and transparency.
Consultation Process: Educating Patients on Realistic Outcomes and Risks
One of the most critical steps in the aesthetic journey is the consultation process, where Cosmetic Practitioners must educate patients on what’s realistically achievable based on their individual anatomy and goals. Given the influence of social media, many patients may come in with specific expectations shaped by influencers or edited photos. This is where it becomes essential for healthcare professionals to clarify that non-surgical cosmetic procedures have limitations and come with risks.
By explaining the nuances of different treatments, the possible side effects, and the expected recovery times, Cosmetic Practitioners can align patient expectations with realistic outcomes and risks. This honest dialogue is key to building trust and ensuring patients feel confident and well-informed about their decisions.
Setting Boundaries: Managing Patient Expectations When Influenced by Social Media
When patients are heavily influenced by unrealistic beauty standards on social media, Cosmetic Practitioners need to set clear boundaries. Many people seek to replicate the looks of influencers or celebrities without considering their own unique facial structure or the limits of non-surgical cosmetic procedures.
Cosmetic Plastic Surgeons and Cosmetic Practitioners must manage these expectations by explaining that not all features can or should be altered to mirror someone else’s appearance. Encouraging patients to embrace their individual beauty while discussing the best procedures for enhancing their natural features helps to avoid disappointment. This step is critical in preventing patients from chasing unattainable ideals that may not align with their anatomy or long-term satisfaction.
Transparency in Advertising: The Need for Clinics to Post Honest, Non-Edited Results Online
It has become more important than ever for clinics to be transparent in their advertising (avoid filters and Photoshop). This is due to the fact that posting authentic, non-edited before-and-after photos helps set realistic expectations for potential patients. By showcasing genuine results, Cosmetic Practitioners can avoid perpetuating the cycle of unattainable beauty standards driven by social media.
Honest results boosts credibility and also promotes a healthier understanding of what aesthetic procedures can achieve. Ensuring that all online marketing reflects real, unfiltered results helps bridge the gap between fantasy and reality, fostering patient satisfaction and trust in the clinic’s services.
The Positive Side of Social Media
While social media is often scrutinised for its role in setting unrealistic beauty standards, it also serves as a powerful platform for educating the public about aesthetic treatments. Here are some tips you can use to use these platforms positively:
1. Awareness and Accessibility
Social media provides a space where patients can learn about various aesthetic procedures, helping demystify the field and making it more approachable – Clinics and Cosmetic Practitioners should be sharing educational content that clarifies treatments, risks, and recovery expectations.
2. Patient Empowerment
Individuals can share their personal journeys with aesthetic treatments, offering real patient testimonials and before-and-after results. This transparency will empower prospective patients to make informed decisions and foster a sense of community.
3. Building Trust
As mentioned, clinics can showcase their expertise by posting genuine, unedited results, helping to establish credibility – sharing educational content and procedure insights creates an open dialogue that fosters patient satisfaction.
Ultimately, it is the role of aesthetic Cosmetic ractitioners to balance the wants of patients (no matter how and to which extent they have been influenced), with what is responsible and safe, and clearly communicate that.
