Statistics indicate that some people take up to 450 selfies of themselves each year. However, a new study published by the British "Daily Mail" suggests that the popularity of selfies may decline due to distortions caused by front cameras on smartphones.
**Distortion of Facial Features**
Researchers from the Southwestern Medical Center at the University of Texas found that selfies distort facial features, making the nose appear longer and wider compared to regular photos. The popularity of selfies has reportedly led to an increase in rhinoplasty procedures in Britain.
**Rhinoplasty**
Dr. Bardia Amirlak, the lead researcher in the study, stated, "There is a notable correlation between the increase in selfies and the rise in requests for nose jobs, particularly among younger patients."
The study involved 30 volunteers to explore how selfies affect the appearance of facial features. The volunteers posed for a series of three photos taken in the same location and lighting—two photos were captured using a front camera from distances of 12 and 18 inches, while one photo was taken with a digital camera from five feet away.
**Comparisons with a Digital Camera**
The researchers compared measurements of four facial landmarks in the photos: the nose, lips, chin, and width of the face. Participants filled out questionnaires to evaluate their satisfaction with their appearance in the images.
Results showed that cellphone selfies significantly distorted the participants' facial features, with the nose appearing, on average, 6.4% longer in the 12-inch selfies and 4.3% longer in the 18-inch selfies compared to the photo taken with the digital camera. Additionally, the length of the chin decreased by an average of 12% in the 12-inch selfies, resulting in a 17% increase in the ratio of nose length to chin length. At the same time, selfies also made the base of the nose appear wider relative to the width of the face.
**Impact on Mental Health**
These distortions reflected participants' ratings of their facial appearance. On average, participants expressed 9.1% less satisfaction with their noses in the 12-inch selfies compared to digital camera photos and 5.7% less satisfaction with their faces overall.
Dr. Amirlak noted that "with the growing popularity of selfies, it is essential for patients to understand how selfies [taken with front cameras] distort facial features." Moreover, the findings could assist manufacturers in improving the societal impact of smartphone cameras, especially since the distortion of selfies can negatively affect mental health.
