FaceTime Facelift Surgery to Use Your Cell Phone?

In the past, we’ve seen software developers create apps for plastic surgery, but now, one doctor is performing plastic surgery for an app! FaceTime is a video calling app for devices like the iPhone and iPad that utilizes a front-facing camera to chat. This week, Gizmodo is reporting on what one doctor is calling his “FaceTime Facelift.” The tech blog quotes the surgeon, Dr. Robert Sigal, as saying, “Patients come in with their iPhones and show me how they look on FaceTime … The angle at which the phone is held, with the caller looking downward into the camera, really captures any heaviness, fullness and sagging of the face and neck.”

Some people are criticizing this type of treatment, going so far as to call it predatory. Gizmodo writes that you can’t just blame technology here, but “you have to include … this horribly-enabling doctor who seems to think FaceTime Body Dysmorphia is a condition worth treating with surgery.” Whether or not this procedure will actually gain traction, it certainly starts an interesting question on the right and wrong reasons to choose plastic surgery.

The Right and Wrong Reason for Choosing Plastic Surgery

The Right Reasons for Exploring Plastic Surgery: In their Physicians Guide to Plastic Surgery, The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) list some characteristics of good plastic surgery candidates. First and foremost, the patient should have “realistic expectations of the surgery itself.” This is vitally important to patient satisfaction. Furthermore, the ASPS says that patients should have “a good self-image, but a concern about a bothersome feature or a moderately diminished self-image due to the cosmetic defect.” Plastic surgery is not a panacea, and it shouldn’t be taken lightly. All in all, a good candidate should have realistic—and specific—cosmetic goals.

The Wrong Reasons for Exploring Plastic Surgery: The ASPS also outlines some “red flags” to watch out for when patients are seeking cosmetic treatment. “Unrealistic expectations of lifestyle/career/relationship effects,” are one of the biggest issues. Although plastic surgery can be a confidence-boosting, life changing experience, it will not correct every problem in your life. Similarly, patients with “an obsession with a very minor defect,” may also find themselves dissatisfied. Plastic surgery is all about enhancing your appearance—not perfecting it.

Is Plastic Surgery Right for You?

To find out if you’re a candidate for Plastic Surgery, contact us today. We have offices in in Montvale, NJ, Pearl River, NY and SOHO, NYC. Speak with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon—schedule your consultation at (845) 623-6141.