This article explores how people who go overboard with plastic surgery could potentially have psychological issues such as body dysmorphic disorder.
It’s the year 2022, the future people once dreamed about, and it’s hard to scroll through Instagram without noticing a plastic face. From influencers to actors to everyday people, plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures have become shockingly commonplace. While everyone has the right to do what they want with their bodies, unrealistic beauty standards are created when enormously influential individuals such as Kim Kardashian laughably deny having had work done. Additionally, many people find that those around them are going overboard with plastic surgery. However, there are psychological reasons that explain why some individuals can’t stop at tasteful cosmetic enhancements and instead “ruin” their appearance with surgery.
What looks good is objective. One person might prefer lips that are three times as plump as those of the person next to them. However many people find there is an acceptable line for what constitutes too much plastic surgery. Numerous public figures have fallen down the rabbit hole when it comes to getting cosmetic procedures. Kids are often warned that marijuana is a “gateway” drug that leads to abusing harder substances, but people seldom warn youth against the addictive effects of changing one’s appearance. Jocelyn Wildenstein serves as the ultimate cautionary tale for extreme plastic surgery, but she is unfortunately far from the only person who has become unrecognizable due to changing her looks. From human Barbie dolls to human Ken dolls to everyday reality TV personalities, many people are going overboard with plastic surgery in Western society.
Not everyone who gets plastic surgery or has injections has psychological issues. However, body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is prevalent in people who turn to excessive plastic surgery. Those who have BDD are intensely preoccupied with a perceived bodily defect. However, this so-called “defect” is not something that a healthy individual would be preoccupied with. For example, someone with BDD might focus all of their attention on their crooked nose even though their nose appears normal to most people. Even if the person does have a crooked nose, placing an inappropriate focus on this perceived flaw can characterize someone as having BDD. Those with BDD place an excessive amount of time, energy, importance, and focus on their real or imagined flaws. To someone with BDD, their crooked nose is the most significant thing about them.
People who have BDD cannot view themselves accurately. It is therefore extremely discouraged that people with BDD turn to cosmetic procedures and surgeries, especially if they are permanent. Unfortunately, there are numerous cosmetic doctors and aestheticians who lack morality. These people do not deny treatment to people who are obsessed with correcting every imagined flaw, because these individuals are highly profitable financially. This can lead to people going overboard with their cosmetic procedures as they continually chase the high of changing the way they look. The feeling these individuals get when they go through different procedures is not unlike that of a drug user. Though a cosmetic procedure might bring a temporary rush and relief, when the feeling dissipates, the need for more returns. Plastic surgery can therefore be classified as an addiction for some people.
There is a reason why bartenders are supposed to cut off people when they become too drunk. A responsible surgeon should therefore not cater to the desires of people who cannot see reality. For example, removing someone’s ribs for cosmetic reasons is highly questionable for both moral and legal reasons. However, extreme plastic surgery isn’t just something that occurs because mentally ill people go to questionable doctors. These are rather effects of a larger issue. The values instilled in modern society are more the causal reason why people feel the need to have excessive surgeries in the first place, as many people pursue the same wildly narrow beauty standards that often only cater to Caucasian features.
Social media has undoubtedly exacerbated and likely even caused body dysmorphia for many young girls, women, men, and boys alike. The blurred line between what is real and what has been edited and filtered beyond recognition has become increasingly impossible to decipher as even videos can be altered with the easy click of a pre-saved button. Additionally, the variety of filters circulating across popular apps such as TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram have become rather disturbing. There are now countless filters that show people what they would look like with a “perfect” and harmonious face, as well as many options that show people what they would look like with procedures such as lip injections, nose jobs, and eye surgeries. Naturally, these filters make sure to smooth and “improve” other aspects of one’s appearance to leave the user with the message that they would be flawless if only they coughed up the money for a little cosmetic work.
Ultimately many people are turning to cosmetic procedures and plastic surgery, although plenty of others are embracing their perceived “flaws” and celebrating their unique traits. Meanwhile, cosmetic changes can be done tastefully and bring enormous benefits when it comes to improving self-confidence and self-image. However, it’s clear that as cosmetic procedures become increasingly common, more people are struggling with knowing when to stop. People are forgoing actual needs such as food to fund imagined needs such as lip injections. However, not enough emphasis is being placed on the reality that for people with BDD, no amount of cosmetic alterations is likely to cure their need to change their appearance.
The reality is that many people with a plastic surgery preoccupation need to first fix their obsession with their imagined flaws before they set out to alter anything about their appearance. This is a mental issue that needs to be addressed before anything is physically changed. It is simply not possible for someone with BDD to accurately evaluate the way they look and decide if they truly want to make a change. Therefore, it’s wise to proceed with extreme caution if you have dysmorphic thoughts about yourself and are thinking about changing your appearance. Take the time to understand why you want to make changes and understand that if you have BDD, changing your appearance will likely not bring you any real relief or lasting satisfaction.