Those viral 'Love Island' cast photos, Kylie Jenner and when cosmetic treatments age you
Many people seek out facial fillers and cosmetic procedures to look youthful. But be careful: Dermatologists warn that, if taken too far, they can make you look decades older.
Just take the new season of the United Kingdom version of "Love Island" for example. Photos of the cast recently went viral, as many on the internet declared some of the women − still in their early-to-mid-20s− looked much older.
The photos even baffled a plastic surgeon. In a TikTok with over 13 million views, Dr. Daniel Barrett, a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, had to pick his jaw up off the floor upon finding out the women in the photographs he reviewed were 25, 24, 24 and 26, after guessing they were 38, 42, 35 and 32, respectively.
"Obviously, I don't watch this show − maybe I should − but this is crazy," Barrett says in the video. "Plastic surgery and injectables done incorrectly can make you look older."
Dr. Anthony Rossi, a dermatologist and surgeon, agrees − and says it's not a phenomenon relegated to "Love Island." Thanks to social media and other reality television stars, like the Kardashians, he says, many people believe more is better when it comes to cosmetic treatments.
That just isn't true, he says.
"One of the most advantageous parts of our human brain is we recognize emotions, we recognize faces, we recognize other human facial structures," Rossi says. "So these cosmetics procedures that people are having done, if they're done too early on such a young face, it starts to mature the face in certain ways."
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'Love Island' and when cosmetic treatments go too far
Dermatologists say cosmetic treatments carry risks and often you can't be sure how a procedure or treatment is going to look until it's done. If a treatment isn't done well − or not done with the patient's unique proportions in mind − it can make them look incongruous and even older, Rossi says.
"It's less about the procedure itself and more about how well it's done and the nuance with which it's done," he says. "That's why I strive to tell my patients we're going to keep a very natural aesthetic."
Dermatologist Dr. Brooke Jeffy adds there's a growing segment of the population who seek out cosmetic treatments because they look unnatural. Looking like you had work done, she says, is the point.
"They want to have that look to fit in, for people to know that they can afford it," she says. "It's a status symbol."
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Some cosmetic procedures might give a patient their desired aesthetic in the short term, but make them look older and more haggard long term, Rossi says, adding buccal fat removal, which involves removing fat from the cheeks, falls into this category.
Fillers, he says, can also have this effect if done in excess by making some parts of the face look rounder and others more gaunt by comparison.
Psychotherapist Stephanie Sarkis says that, while she's fine with people pursuing cosmetic treatments if they wish, they should really examine their motives for doing so − and understand superficial changes won't resolve deeper issues they're struggling with.
"Whatever you want to do with your body, that's your body, and that's up to you," she says. "It's important to note though that it won't make you happier. It won't make you more social. It may give you more confidence... but it doesn't necessarily cause those things to happen."
Kylie Jenner, others regret cosmetic treatments. How did we get here?
When cosmetic treatments get taken too far, it can lead to serious regret. Kylie Jenner, for instance, has opened up about her cosmetic procedures, revealing in a recent episode of "The Kardashians" on Hulu that she decided to dissolve half her lip filler.
"People have been talking about my looks since I was 12, 13. Before I even got lip filler, people were talking about my looks," Jenner said during the episode. "I look old, I see it under every post."
Jenner has also said on the show she regrets getting her "breasts done" when she was 19, shortly before she gave birth to her daughter Stormi, and views cosmetic procedures differently after becoming a mother.
"I have a daughter too. I would be heartbroken if she wanted to get her body done at 19," Jenner said. "I want to be the best mom and best example for her. I wish I could be her and do it all differently, ‘cause I wouldn’t touch anything."
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Sarkis says our highly visual culture pressures people to look a certain way. Rossi adds social media and filters can also make people forget or misunderstand what a natural human being looks like.
"People forget what they sort of look like at baseline, and then they're just looking at themselves with filters or through the lens of social media, where these faces are morphing into the same person," he says. "The millennial population seemed to have embraced that 'Instagram face' very much so."
Think carefully before getting cosmetic treatments
If a patient comes to him wanting cosmetic treatments, Rossi says it's important for him to understand the patient's reasoning and give a realistic expectation for what the treatment can do. He adds choosing to get a cosmetic treatment is not a decision to take lightly or rush.
Also, for those wanting youthful, healthy skin naturally, he encourages wearing sunscreen, staying hydrated and avoiding cigarettes and alcohol. Keeping these healthy habits, he says, can often do more for your skin than fillers and other treatments can.
It's also important to remember the features that make you stand out aren't ones that should necessarily be changed.
"I like to think that people's asymmetries are nice," he says. "We should embrace them because that's what makes people unique."
Contributing: Jay Stahl, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Love Island' cast, Kylie Jenner and when cosmetic treatments age you
