'RealSelf' Is Like A Social Network For People Who Want Cosmetic Surgery
Since its founding in 2006, RealSelf has created an online community for learning and sharing information about cosmetic surgery. Think of it as a hybrid of Yelp and Facebook. People write reviews and post before-and-after photos. They also share the price of the procedure they've elected and the doctor who did the work.
People also share their stories, and look for support amongst those in the community.
Take, for example, this 29-year-old woman in Gainesville, GA. Her profile says she's had two kids and two c-sections, so she's elected to have a tummy tuck.
On her profile, she can update her status and people leave comments.
Here's an example of a status update she left today, just three days before her surgery will take place. She has also added photos:
Underneath her updates, people leave comments, just like they would on a social network like Facebook or Instagram:
Covering everything from Botox to breast augmentation, thousands use the site to get feedback on the procedures they want from people who they can relate to.
According to the RealSelf site, they are a sponsor of the ReSurge 2014 Quy Nhon medical team, which sends volunteer medical teams to empower developing-world surgeons by teaching and performing approximately 1,500 life-transforming surgeries each year.
This woman, from Long Island, had liposuction on her legs, and was keeping her followers updated post surgery:
To adhere to the site's policies, she also disclosed the name of her doctor and graded her on a five-star rating system, which her doctor passed with flying colors.
You can check out RealSelf.com here.