Monthly Archives: August 2018


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‘Snapchat Dysmorphia’

Celebrities used to be the main influence over plastic surgery trends, now it’s selfies. More and more people are approaching plastic surgeons for facial feature changes in order to look like the filtered version of themselves that they post on social media. It’s not wrong to want to refine your features or look younger to be a “better you,” but social media and photo editing apps are encouraging people to strive for unattainable beauty standards and it’s affecting their emotional wellbeing.

There is new researching confirming that social media is leading to an increase in Body Dysmorphic Disorders. BDD is a mental condition in which someone obsesses about their appearance in such a negative way that is causes emotional distress and interrupts their daily life. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, this affects 1 in 50 people and is often combined with other anxieties, such as depression.

Photo editing apps like Facetune and Snapchat can smooth skin, slim and straighten the nose, enlarge eyes and plump lips. Increased usage is leading social media consumers to prefer their heavily filtered appearances to their reality. This is a strong enough preference to lead them into the plastic surgeons office.

Boston University dermatology professors confirmed that 55 percent of plastic surgeons reported that their patients were seeking alterations to their physical appearance to improve their selfies, according to an essay in the JAMA bimonthly peer reviewed Facial Plastic Surgery medical periodical. The prevalence of patients seeking surgery in order to imitate their filtered selfies has been called ‘Snapchat dysmorphia.’

This alarming trend is even more prevalent among young people who use these editing apps and share those augmented pictures of themselves the most often. They struggle to align their fantasy self with reality, viewing plastic surgery as the solution. This striving for approval based on an augmented appearance is not only unhealthy emotionally, but physically unachievable.

I love helping people with refining their features to be satisfied with how they look, however this should not ultimately be where anyone’s self value comes from. Everyone has imperfections and the edited reality of the media world doesn’t change this. An unhealthy obsession with changing our appearance to align with the edited version of ourselves warrants some professional therapeutic help. Yes, the results from plastic surgery can be a confidence boost, but if you have “snapchat dysmorphia,” a physical fix is a BandAid to an emotional issue that should also be addressed. Our goal should be to look and feel great physically and emotionally.

Steven Davison, M.D.

Triple Board Certified Cosmetic Surgeon

www.davinciplastic.com

Botox Beauty Tricks

Botox and smoothing wrinkles has become an automatic association. But is Botox and cheek streamlining or noselift a natural connection? Maybe not yet. However, through the creative experiences of medical professionals, there have been some cool discoveries of more “beauty tricks” that Botox has up its sleeve. I’ll be covering some of those here.

Facial Slimming

Botox can actually contour your facial shape particularly, the jawline and cheeks. If you feel your cheeks are chubby looking or your jaw is blocky, Botox can help you achieve a more oval shape. Injecting in the lower cheeks and jaw to relax the specific muscles will trim the appearance of the cheeks and facial profile. Along with this cosmetic benefit, injecting Botox into the jaw muscles can actually reduce teeth grinding associated with TMJ.

Lifts

There is no substitution for the degree that a Facelift can address the areas that need lifting, tightening and tucking away loose, sagging skin. However, there is a little magic that Botox can do to help you hold off on the need for a Facelift.

  • Browlift… While smoothing out a creased forehead and frownlines is the Botox forte, it also can do a little lifting and elongating of the brow and forehead. Mild upper eyelid drooping and the drifting down of the forehead can give a tired, frustrated appearance. When expertly injected into the Orbicularis oculi muscle, Botox can actually raise the outer edge of the eyebrow. This results in a more open and awake eye area.
  • Noselift… Even the nose starts to show its age over time. Botox could help if you’d like to raise the tip of your nose either to reverse the signs of aging or to see if you can prevent rhinoplasty. A little Botox injected to the base of the nose can accomplish this.
  • Lip Flip… In combination with filler, such as Juvederm, or alone, using Botox is the newest trend to get a “poutier lip.” By relaxing the muscles around the mouth, Botox flips out the lip line to give you a plush pout you’ll rave about.

I hope you were encouraged to learn about these Botox beauty tricks that are outside the normal realm of rejuvenation associated with this injectable. Botox is such an incredibly versatile cosmetic treatment. Contact us today to see how we can use Botox or other treatments to help you reach your beauty goals, www.davinciplastic.com.

Steven Davison, M.D.

Triple Board Certified Cosmetic Surgeon

Me Time

The back to school season has started. Depending on your temperament and the ages of your children, you’re probably crying tears or breathing a sigh of relief to see them go… maybe a mix of both. Once you get settled with the new routine of things and get the machine moving smoothly, it’s time for you to take some time for yourself. Get some projects done and breathe a bit before the holidays kick in.

It’s important to schedule for yourself some “me time,” whether that’s working out, socializing, volunteering, pampering… or all of the above. Consider it part of your mental, emotional and physical wellbeing. When mamma is happy, everyone is happy, except toddlers and moody teenagers, but hopefully those are just phases.

There are a variety of beauty treatments you can choose to invest your resources into, but in the rejuvenating realm, there’s something so gratifying about the age defying results of getting Botox or fillers like Juvederm. The treatments are so quick you don’t have to schedule any more than a lunch break. Also, they don’t require any recovery time so you’re keeping the same pace with your schedule. Smooth forehead, no crow’s feet, a smile without the smile lines and fuller lips… how fantastic.

Another treatment with no downtime and can help you feel more confident and comfortable in your clothes is SculpSure. This FDA approved treatment is perfect for those little stubborn fat pooches that just won’t go away. You can firm up the belly or trim down those “muffin tops” to fit more comfortably in your fall jeans. With no time in your schedule to waste, you can get clinically proven results of 24% fat cell reduction in the treatment areas.

This back to school season is great for you to schedule in some “me time.” We can help you look and feel your best with “in and out” rejuvenating facial and body contouring procedures. Visit www.davinciplastic.com to schedule your consultation today!

Steven Davison M.D.

Triple Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

Schedule Your Consultation With Dr. Davison

The initial consultation with your surgeon is critical! It should always be face to face with your surgeon during which time he/she listens closely to your concerns. Dr. Davison believes this time spent with you is critical to both you and to him. It is during the consultation that he comes to fully understand your concerns, evaluates them correctly and is then able to make the recommendations and develop the treatment plan thats right for you. Dr. Davison invests the time to sit down and talk to you face-to-face.

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3301 New Mexico Ave. Suite 236

Washington D.C.

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