The Ugly Face of Beauty: Felix Bertram (Transcript)

Here is the full transcript of Felix Bertram’s talk titled “The Ugly Face of Beauty” at TEDxFreiburg conference.

In this TEDx talk, Felix Bertram, a dermatologist, discusses the evolving perceptions and practices around beauty and cosmetic procedures. He begins by challenging the audience to acknowledge everyday beauty routines, emphasizing how deeply ingrained the pursuit of appearance improvement is in our culture.

Bertram traces the history of aesthetic enhancements, from ancient lip coloring to modern plastic surgery, illustrating humanity’s long-standing obsession with physical appearance. He critically examines the impact of social media and AI on beauty standards, particularly among Gen Z, who frequently use filters and avatars to alter their appearance online. This digital alteration, Bertram points out, leads to unrealistic beauty standards and has increased the demand for cosmetic surgery, a phenomenon he terms “Snapchat Dysmorphia.”

Despite recognizing the benefits of cosmetic procedures, he warns against their overuse and the pursuit of unattainable perfection. Bertram concludes with a hopeful message that a shift in the narrative around beauty could lead to a greater focus on internal values and personal growth.

Listen to the audio version here:

TRANSCRIPT:

The Impact of Beauty and Cosmetic Procedures

People have strong opinions about my profession. So let me ask you a question. Who here has ever had a procedure to improve their appearance? I did. Well, not too many hands, but is that really true? Who showered this morning? Who’s using makeup? Who’s wearing lipstick? Who shaved and who is exercising regularly to get in shape?

Well, all of them could be considered as appearance-improving procedures. We all work on our appearance every day, and if we didn’t, we probably would look a bit like Tom Hanks in “Cast Away” after spending four years with Wilson on that island. I’m a dermatologist. I work in the field of dermatology, aesthetic treatments, and plastic surgery since 2001.

But people have been trying to improve their appearance for centuries. As long ago as 13,500 B.C., women colored their lips. As early as 1,200 B.C., basic rhinoplasty has been performed in India. Procedures may have changed, but the objectives remained the same in all countries and cultures.

The Power of Beauty

But why? Why is the allure of beauty so powerful? Beauty triggers and seduces us. It catches our attention and holds it. It can open up opportunities and create higher status. It can lead to recognition and admiration. Studies have shown that people have a bias towards assuming that attractive people possess positive characteristics, like friendliness, warmth, and intelligence.

ALSO READ: The Body Revolution We Need: Function over Form by Tiffany Stewart (Transcript)

Today, beauty is a multibillion-dollar industry. In the United States alone, people spend more money on beauty than on education. And the forefront of the beauty industry, providers of Botox fillers, and cosmetic surgery, is expected to grow by 15% annually within the next five years.

The Role of Cosmetic Surgery

As a dermatologist, I know that cosmetic surgery has a bad reputation in the eyes of many. People wonder why others want to change the way they look. However, when used properly, plastic surgery is a good thing and is helping thousands of people every day. People with cleft palates, burnt skin, or disfigurement caused by accident or disease.

Plastic and reconstructive surgery helped me after my motorbike accident when I lost my lower left leg. But even a simple nose job can help people to feel better about themselves. And in the interest of full transparency, I had a nose job myself, a hair transplant, and even a little bit of liposuction.

Reflecting on Personal Choices

These treatments help me to feel more confident, especially the liposuction and the hair transplant. But like anything, we can go too far with plastic surgery. And in hindsight, I might not do the rhinoplasty again. My old nose was unique, but I do miss it sometimes. But my nose is nothing compared to people who go to extreme lengths to change their appearance.

And you probably are familiar with some of the stories of celebrities who went too far, or you know someone personally who has gone too far with plastic surgery. But luckily, they represent a small minority of people. However, when it comes to evaluating something, we tend to rely on the stories we know. It’s called the availability bias.

So many people have developed a misleading impression about what plastic surgery can do. And fortunately, most doctors try to steer their patients in the right direction. They act as an important checkpoint. And guiding our patients correctly and ethically is one of the most important things that we, as providers in the aesthetic field, can do.

Changing Trends in Appearance and Self-Perception

A colleague of mine always says, “Your reputation as a plastic surgeon is not based on the people you treat, but on the people you do not treat.” In recent years, everything has changed. Today, people don’t need doctors to change their appearance. They can do it themselves, on social media with filters and now with AI. And this is how Gen Z is presenting themselves to the world.

ALSO READ: Reading Minds Through Body Language: Lynne Franklin (Transcript)

It has become so easy, you just have to press a button. Studies have found that 90% of Gen Z is extremely active on social media. Avatars and filters are a big part of that activity. An avatar, quite simply, is an electronic image representing yourself online in a game or on a social media platform like Snapchat, Instagram, or TikTok.

The Digital Alteration of Self

A filter is a creative effect that you can add to an avatar or an image. Have you ever taken a picture with your cell phone and made it warmer, colder, brighter, darker to make it nicer? If so, you used a filter. But the thing is, young people today are using far more advanced filters and AI on images and videos. With the rapid acceleration of social media, metaverse, and AI, beauty filters are becoming more and more realistic.

So let’s have a look. This is me unfiltered this morning. And this is me with the filter turned on.

We can now create our own digital personality with any appearance we want. And so young people are heading out into the digital world looking different than they do in the physical world. They meet, chat, and date on social media using their avatars.

The Consequences of Digital Beauty

It’s so tempting. You get attention and recognition, often much more than in the real world. Likes, followers, and flattering comments supply a constant dopamine rush. And over time, the digital appearance no longer keeps up with the virtual appearance. People are, in a very real sense, living a double life.

And this has led to a shift in the opposite direction, from digital beauty back to physical beauty, but not in a good way. We now have young people coming to our clinic and asking us to make them look like their avatars. And they look perfectly fine as they are, but they feel like they have digitally painted themselves into a corner.

Snapchat Dysmorphia and Its Impacts

According to statistics from the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, there is a critical correlation between using filters and the demand for cosmetic surgery. It even has a name: Snapchat Dysmorphia. What began with a simple push of a button is now pushing people to change their appearance in the physical world. And social media is becoming the fuel for unrestrained growth in the cosmetic industry.

ALSO READ: Reimagining The Actual Value of Your Time: Brian Nelson-Palmer (Transcript)

Since 2013, the number of cosmetic treatments has doubled and people are becoming trapped in the pursuit of something they will never have: perfection. That’s why in my clinic, we regularly say no to young people who ask us to make them look like their avatars. We talk openly with them about why it is not realistic and, in most cases, not even possible.

Hope for a Change in Perception

But this whole situation got me thinking. Could there be anything positive about this trend of digital beautification? And here is my hope: if in the digital world, everyone can look exactly the way they want, perhaps the entire narrative around physical beauty will change. If everyone looks beautiful, beauty will be ordinary. And if beauty is ordinary, maybe, just maybe, we can start focusing on other more important things.

Because there’s so much more beneath the surface. Our personalities. Our relationships. Our purpose. Ourselves. And if we could do that in the virtual world, perhaps we could do it more often in the physical world. I realize that sounds idealistic and I’m under no illusion how big the challenge is. And I don’t claim to have all the answers. But having worked in the aesthetic field for the last two decades, I have learned one thing: it’s totally okay to improve your appearance. But if we only work on our physical appearance, we will end up as good-looking, empty shells.

Balancing Beauty and Substance

We also have to work on the more important aspects of who we are as people. If we could put the pursuit of physical beauty into proper perspective, other, more important values could regain their rightful significance. Values that result in a healthier and more fulfilling life. But don’t forget to keep showering and stay fit.

Thank you.