Snapchat photo filters linked to rise in cosmetic surgery requests

The trend, labelled 'Snapchat dysmorphia', suggests some people are experiencing a worrying blur between reality and social media

Plastic surgeons are reporting that patients are coming to them with selfies of themselves edited using the filters on Snapchat or Instagram and asking to look more like the retouched photo.

Researchers at the Boston medical center have authored an article in the journal JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery, which labels the trend "Snapchat dysmorphia" and argues that filters on apps are having a disastrous impact on people's self-esteem.