How do TikTok filters shape the latest plastic surgery trends?

TikTok filters are more realistic than ever, showing us what we could look like with a few simple operations – and this is having a greater impact than ever on the cosmetic procedures we seek.

Social media can also reduce the risk of these procedures or misinformation, with patients “sometimes not being properly informed of all the serious risks involved,” Dr. Devine says. After all, these are medical treatments.”

We've come a long way from big-eared Snapchat filters and rainbow splatter filters. In 2024, they've been replaced by increasingly realistic, distorting filters for your face, which smooth pores, enlarge lips, define your nose, and reshape your jaw.

Hand in hand with celebrities

On TikTok, AI filters like “Bold Glamor” and “Teenage Look” are extremely lifelike, transforming your face pixel by pixel in an almost undetectable way. Recently, we've seen a new wave of female filters.

You've probably seen a few of these in your feed: Low visual weight refers to whether lighter or heavier makeup is more “likable” based on the size of your facial features.

Ian Michael Crum, celebrity makeup artist and co-host of the BeautyCurious Podcast, agrees that these filters “often portray unattainable beauty standards” and points to the popularity of the poreless beauty filter, which promotes something that's not physically possible.

A face proportion filter of 0.33 indicates the “ideal” proportions of facial features. The canthal tilt filter measures the angle at which the eye tilts up or down, along with celebrities like Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid, whose features have contributed to a raised brow and “foxy eyes” to achieve a “higher hue.”

@kellystrackofficial This filter is really something else 😂 Should I try a tutorial to recreate this filter with makeup? #fyp #makeup #beauty #beautyfilter #boldglamour #AXERatioChallenge ♬ Original sound – Kelly Strack

Since the advent of filters, these digital transformations have leapt off the screen and had major real-world impacts. In 2018, Dr. Tejeon Eshoo coined the term “Snapchat dysmorphia” after he noticed that patients were increasingly bringing him photos of their faces that had been subtly (or not-so-subtly) altered by Snapchat filters rather than photos of celebrities, as they had done. before.

In the six years since then, the technology has become more realistic and widespread. So how do “new generations” of TikTok filters influence and shape plastic surgery trends?

“Sneaky” ratio: 0.33

First, these filters increase knowledge of medical terminology, turning complex procedures into user-friendly, marketable requests that people can submit to plastic surgeons or cosmetic experts.

Many of these measurement filters “are analytical tools that plastic surgeons have been using for decades,” says Dr. Lee, board-certified plastic surgeon and CEO of Wave Plastic Surgery. TikTok, in its constant search for innovation, will personalize these elements and highlight them for its viewers for a period of time before moving on to the next topic.

Dr. Devine, a plastic surgeon and founder of Carriages of Harley Street, shares this sentiment, saying that TikTok has yet to achieve the highest predictive performance through AI in terms of correctly predicting how the procedure will actually look — though the filters are certainly moving in that direction.

The most popular filters usually change lips, reflecting one of the most popular tweaking trends of the past five years.

@dudumvmiOh my God, now I want to♬ Dodo – Speed ​​Songs ✨️

Users may be more likely to view their face negatively and seek surgery if they do not “pass” the individual filter test – perhaps their jaw is 0.1 out of a ratio of 0.33, prompting them to seek out modern surgery such as jaw fillers, even if it is not right for them.

Filters as reference images for plastic surgery?

Dr. Devine agrees that these “ideal” facial proportions, which can be increased or corrected, can lead to a toxic self-image.

Social media can also reduce the risk of these procedures or misinformation, with patients “sometimes not being properly informed of all the serious risks involved,” Dr. Devine says. “At the end of the day, these are medical treatments and should be taken as such.”

Ian Michael Crum, celebrity makeup artist and co-host of the BeautyCurious Podcast, agrees that these filters “often portray unattainable beauty standards,” and points to the popularity of the poreless beauty filter, which promotes something that's not physically possible. .

Dr. Lee says that he, along with many other plastic surgeons and cosmetic specialists, has noticed an increase in the number of people using the filters as reference images for non-surgical procedures.

What is Barbie Botox?

Kaylyn Bloom, NCCPA nationally board certified and co-founder of Ratio NYC, didn't ask patients to request a specific TikTok filter as a request, but she noted, “I think there's a growing awareness of the exact fixes you can make, because there are these filters where people can… They say, “Hey, I look better with this.”

@drrolaclinicsThe latest beauty sensation: Traptox or Barbie Botox treatment, now at Karisma Clinic! Book now!♬ Original audio – Dr. Rula's clinics

After the release of the Barbie movie, I also noticed a significant increase in the number of patients requesting “Botox Barbie,” which is Botox that is injected into the trapezius muscles to soften the shoulders and lengthen the neck.

This procedure, or others with a new name, such as jaw slimmer (Botox masticator), are not new, but have been promoted and “packaged” in conjunction with other online trends, resulting in peak demand popularity.

*With information from Dazed | Main story image: Kellystrackofficial | TikTok | BBC