Addicted to Cosmetic Surgery

We’ve all seen celebrities who take cosmetic surgery to an extreme. Just look at the change in Michael Jackson over the years. He is no longer even recognizable as himself. What drives those with too much money and too little sense to become addicted to cosmetic surgery? How can they not realize that after the initial couple of surgeries they are making themselves look freakish rather than attractive? Obviously there exists a problem of celebrity addiction to plastic surgery.

Increasingly we can see that people can become hooked on botox, facelifts and liposuction the same way that they get hooked on drugs and alcohol or gambling. They keep coming back for more and more even though it no longer helps them, but only makes things worse. Psychologists say that such people have a disorder called body dysmorphic disorder, which results in them perceiving themselves as being ugly. It is similar to and shares symptoms with disorders like anorexia and bulimia.

In the past we wouldn’t see many cases of cosmetic surgery addiction because only celebrities and the wealthy could afford it. However these days it is on the increase due to the ready availability of cheap plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery financing. There’s nothing wrong with the average person having access to plastic surgery so long as they use it responsibly. Proper use of cosmetic surgery can do wonders for a persons self confidence.

When problems arise is when a small liposuction here and a rhinoplasty there become an obsession. The person begins coming back to the cosmetic surgeon for more and more work as they find small imperfections they are unhappy with. Each additional procedure leads to more dissatisfaction and more work done. Sound familiar? This is the same progression you’ll see in any addiction.

The only way to really address the addiction is through counseling or therapy. Additional cosmetic surgery procedures will not help, they will only hinder the patient.

There are two things contributing to this escalating problem of plastic surgery addiction. The first is the advertising from cosmetic surgeons that only began in 1979 and the second is the constant media bombardment telling us we need to be thinner, younger, prettier. Cosmetic surgeons are seeing increasing numbers of patients each year, especially young girls. In fact, breast augmentation surpassed rhinoplasty as the top cosmetic surgery procedure performed for the first time last year.

Constant pressure from the media for people to conform to a particular idea of the perfect body shape or look has only helped to aggravate this problem, and we are seeing more and more people (particularly girls) resorting to unnecessary methods at a far younger age.

Even with this new problem arising we have to remember that for the vast majority of people the benefits of cosmetic surgery far outweigh any problems. Plastic surgery on trauma victims, burn patients and those who have otherwise been disfigured are an important and necessary surgical procedure. And even those just looking to improve their looks can get a huge boost in their self esteem and confidence making plastic surgery beneficial.

Deciding on cosmetic surgery is not a decision to be taken lightly. It can however be the right decision when pursued wisely and with responsibility.