Social media has become just what the doctor ordered for one renowned plastic surgeon. But Instagram, which helped put Dr. Andrew Jacono on the world stage, is also a fertile ground for copycats looking to cash in on his success. By EU Worther,
Chances are you have never been as hyper-aware of your looks as you are now. Just ask Dr. Andrew Jacono (newyorkfacialplasticsurgery.com), a world-leading facial plastic surgeon and expert on minimally invasive face-lifting. “As our lives continue to adapt to more digital time, we will continue to have an increased awareness of our appearance,” suggests Jacono. “Not only has the uptick in demand for surgery been fueled by the current stay-home culture, but also by the fact that we have all had more time to look at ourselves-on Zoom, FaceTime, and in the mirror. We’ve seen our faces in ways that we haven’t before and have had more time to critique them.”
Another source of fuel for this era of scrutiny comes from the all-pervading social media that has become a documenting platform of what was and what could be, and, in some cases, what should not be. But more on that later. Jacono’s Instagram content focuses on this shift, resulting in not only a draw for potential patients but more importantly, a portfolio of his craft with loads of before-and-after images to prove it. Much like considering the work of an interior designer, the technique of a plastic surgeon must speak volumes in terms of results and aesthetics. Such is the case with his Minimal Access Deep Plane Extended Face-lift, which he recently performed on the Real Housewives of New York City’s Sonja Morgan, one of many boldface names who seek his skill. The procedure lifted the deep structures of the face and released facial ligaments, resulting in a naturally volumized, heart-shaped face of youth, free of distortion or tension, which also eliminates the need for recurrent injectable fillers and fat grafting. Morgan’s “lift,” usually performed under twilight anesthesia, will last longer than a traditional face-lift – 10 to 12 years to be exact. “The results of Sonja’s face-lift is amazing because she has naturally strong facial bone structure, which acts as a beautiful scaffolding,” Jacono says. As expected, the jaw-dropping transformation was documented with a collage of before and after on both Morgan’s and Jacono’s Instagram accounts. With fame both on and off social media comes a few downsides, currently in the way of impostors who have successfully catfished Jacono’s patients and potential patients out of thousands of dollars. After trolling the surgeon’s 215k followers on Instagram and WhatsApp, impersonators would coax hopeful patients into sending advance deposits to be paid through an online portal.
Imposters aside, social media has proven beneficial for Jacono and his practice. He’s been able to directly showcase his work while connecting with his audience in a more personal way than ever before. So, whether he’s traveling on a pro bono surgical cleft lip and palate mission or riding his Vespa around the Hamptons to visit postoperative patients, we all have a front-row seat thanks to Instagram and @drjacono.
