How Addictive is Cosmetic Surgery?

How Addictive is Cosmetic Surgery

This is a guest article by Michael Saul, Partner at Cosmetic Surgery Solicitors.

Most people often associate addiction with alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs, but it can also manifest physically and mentally in different ways. Addiction to substances is well-documented in the media, and for good reason. Behavioural addictions may have just as negative an impact on a person’s life as well as the lives of their friends and family.

A person who is addicted to a certain behaviour that makes them feel good is said to have a ‘behavioural addiction’. In the case of cosmetic surgery, a behavioural addiction can lead to getting many unneeded cosmetic treatments.

• What causes cosmetic surgery addiction?

It is likely for people to have one or two body parts that they don’t like, whether it is something little like a crooked tooth, or more obvious such as protruding ears or asymmetrical breasts. If you find yourself constantly examining your body for flaws and asking for more plastic surgery, you may have Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) and a plastic surgery addiction.

• What is Body Dysmorphic Disorder?

A person with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), also known as body dysmorphia, spends a lot of time fretting about defects in their looks. These self-perceived flaws are often unnoticeable to others.

BDD can affect people of any age and gender, but is most prevalent in adolescents and young adults. It is not a sign of vanity or self-obsession to have BDD. It can be unpleasant and significantly affect your life.

Patients who exhibit BDD symptoms and feel the compulsive need to have cosmetic surgery do so because they have underlying mental and emotional problems that they think can be fixed by altering their body. Cosmetic surgery is not the answer to these issues and, generally, the people that are continually finding flaws in their own appearance will never be satisfied with the results of the procedures, as the results they are looking for are unobtainable.

• Social factors

The addiction to plastic surgery is strongly influenced by social factors as well. Unfortunately, young children and impressionable people are more exposed to exaggerated notions of beauty in today’s always-connected world, whether that exposure comes from movies, music videos, or even the news. It is not surprising that young people are growing up believing that they are ugly when celebrities are constantly in the news discussing their latest diet technique, or breast augmentation or reduction. These media outlets have portrayed plastic surgery as a necessity.

Social influences may distort our sense of beauty, but they do not always result in an addiction to cosmetic surgery; instead, they might cause psychological problems like BDD, which in turn can result in cosmetic surgery treatments.

• Dangers of cosmetic surgery addiction

The effects of addiction, whether to substances or cosmetic surgery, can be very detrimental to your health. The risks of a plastic surgery addiction are severe: you can develop chronic depression, which can cause major difficulties in your social and professional life; when you feel scared or upset, you might also lash out at friends and family who are attempting to help you.

However, the impact various cosmetic treatments can have on your body poses the greatest risk. Individuals who undergo excessive amounts of cosmetic surgery run the risk of developing irreversible skin and muscular damage, including compressed muscles and extensive scar tissue.

• How to get help for cosmetic surgery addiction

There are treatment centres all across the UK that provide counselling and support for those suffering from cosmetic surgery addiction. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in particular may help those in recovery to comprehend how body dysmorphic disorder contributes to their addiction and get over the compulsive low self-esteem that comes along with the disorder.

Nobody’s life should be dictated by cosmetic surgery. If you or someone you know is struggling with a plastic surgery addiction, please get in touch with your GP for further details on what to do and where to go.

Guest Article.