No-one could have foreseen the cultural tsunami caused by Instagram, especially the psychological effects felt by the young and emotionally immature. It’s a sad time for my profession as this industry that I love profoundly lacks legislation, checks and balances, which has led unscrupulous service providers to manipulate society’s most vulnerable – the young.
The Times put Instagram to the test by setting up an account under the guise of a 13year old girl. As ‘she’ followed certain influencers and realty TV stars, unsolicited pop-up posts showing before and after shots of rhinoplasty, a young women having facial fillers and another offering trial lip fillers.
This is obviously a widespread issue transcending borders and cultures and in my opinion, is a scandal in the making. Practitioners need to take a long look in the mirror and examine their practices. Sadly there will always be someone out there willing to inject for a price, regardless of whether it’s ‘right or wrong’.
When is an acceptable age to have facial fillers? Not an easy question to answer as its very subjective, and can depend a great deal on the individual context. Kylie Jenner recently reversed her inflated lips and I can only hope that others in the limelight follow her example – let’s get our young girls back to looking normal!
Ms Angelica Kavouni Cosmetic Plastic Surgeon 