Cosmetic surgeons have issued a warning about the harmful effects of AI filters found in popular social media apps like Instagram, Tiktok, and others. The Association of German Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (VDÄPC) said that these filters can create an unrealistic image of the human body. With the use of these filters, people can quickly adjust their physical appearance to conform to beauty ideals. However, the VDÄPC is concerned about the consequences of filters on younger people who tend to present filtered photos from influencers or edited images. These images may lead to a distorted body image and unrealistic requests for correction.
According to Alexander Schönborn, Vice President of VDÄPC, the issue of patients’ showing idealized images of themselves is not new, but he is surprised that patients in the virtual world do not recognize the unrealistic images processed with the help of AI filters. Some may not understand that everything they see has been edited. Doctors then have to bring these patients back to reality. Therefore, the VDÄPC is calling for a labeling requirement for edited images, advising minors against aesthetic surgeries, and disclosing who edited the images.
Cosmetic surgeons have also warned about trends spreading in social media platforms that are often no longer related to medically sensible and realistic possibilities. For instance, bichectomy, a trend in which fat deposits from the cheek are made narrower with tiny incisions in the oral cavity, is considered unrealistic and should be discouraged.
Interest in minimally invasive procedures has increased by about 10.5% compared to the previous year, with facial rejuvenation in connection to a “fresh, alert appearance” being the most popular treatment, according to the German Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (DGÄPC). The pandemic has contributed to this as people have spent more time looking at themselves during video conferences.
In 2022, around 100 members of VDÄPC performed 37,800 cosmetic surgeries – mostly on women – and nearly 60,800 minimally invasive procedures such as Botox treatments. According to the International Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), the annual total number of surgeries and treatments in Germany was estimated to be over one million in 2021.
Germany has no central register for cosmetic surgery and other interventions. However, an implant register is currently being worked on to improve the safety and quality of implants. Since summer 2021, test data from the practice and clinic administration systems for breast implants have been transmitted to the register via the telematics infrastructure for the test operation. By January 1, 2024, doctors will have to report breast implants, and by 2025, hip and knee endoprostheses.
