Group of women of different ethnics taking a selfie. (Credit: CBS News) More people are taking their edited self and trying to make it their real self. But the move could come with danger. Outlets like Instagram and Snap Chat have morphed the way we view the world and ourselves. It is driving us on the constant search for perfection. For Bita Ardakani, who works for the Naples Skin Clinic as a physician assistant, business is booming. Customers will “show the filter and will take a picture of themselves” and tell Ardakani, “I want to look like that.” But, she sees the constant pressure on the so-called “selfie generation” to look their best. For instance, Kyrhys Devoe said he does not want to see any lines on his face. “I feel like I just want to be a facetuned version of myself,” Devoe said. Many editing apps are making the process easy. The skin can be softened, the eyes brightened, the teeth whitened and lipstick can be added. “I just want to look like my photos on Instagram,” Devoe said. People like Devoe are turning to cosmetic procedures to get their looks picture perfect. But our reporting shows that some people may be taking it too far. In a 2018 JAMA article about selfies, it said filtered images could take a toll on your self-esteem, which can act as a trigger and lead to body dysmorphia. Dysmorphia is a mental health disorder where you obsess over your perceived flaws, making you take drastic changes. “It has gotten to the point where providers do tell patients, ‘Look, I can’t get this to you,'” Ardakani said. “They will actually go online, buy their own filler and inject themselves, which is very dangerous.” Some of these dangers can include blindness, skin infection and death. Mental health experts say the best way to help a child that may be hooked on these apps is to disconnect. Ardakani told WINK News it is all about moderation. A good example is her client, Marla Axsom, who said she wants to age gracefully. “I started doing this when I was about 50 and now I’m just on the verge of 60,” Axsom said. “I’ve been doing this for about 10 years, so it’s just been a continual progression of tweaking here and there. “So for me,” she added, “it’s just maintenance to look my best.”