Cosmetic Surgery and Psychological Issues
Cosmetic surgery has become far less taboo than it once was. It is more accessible than ever, especially since many treatments are non-invasive or are less invasive than they once were. Yet, a common question that comes with cosmetic surgery is whether a person who receives it is experiencing any psychological issues that either drove them to the cosmetic treatment or they experienced issues afterward. We discovered several different ideas on the topic.
Breast Augmentation
One of the most concerned statistics that has come out of research into cosmetic surgery and psychological issues is breast enlargement. Several studies have indicated that there is an increased risk of suicide when a woman has gone through breast augmentation surgery. The results can mean several different things. The amount is not a big enough number to be certain that the procedure could have been related to suicide, and the results might just be random. Regardless, the studies have still shown that there is a slightly higher risk of suicide among women who have had breast augmentation surgery. Breast surgeries have been shown to have an increased amount of satisfaction, but also have been associated with depression, anxiety, eating disorders, alcoholism, and suicide.
Body Dysmorphia
We have all heard or seen the cosmetic surgery horror stories of some celebrities, who have had so many cosmetic procedures performed that they are virtually unrecognizable. While most patients are happy with their cosmetic procedure results, there are always patients who are not completely satisfied from the procedure. These people keep going back for more surgery to try to fine-tune their appearance to reach some ideal goal. When a patient is unable to see their actual appearance clearly, they could have a psychological condition called body dysmorphia. This is the same condition that people with eating disorders often face as they are unable to judge the size of their bodies with any accuracy.
The Reality
The truth of the matter is that plastic surgery is not going to cause psychological issues. Patients are typically very happy with their post-surgery results as they set out to correct certain features or aspects about their body. The patients who experience psychological issues following cosmetic surgery most likely were already experiencing some kind of psychological issue that might have been exacerbated by the procedure. Regardless, there are going to be patients who suffer from unknown psychological issues in any type of procedure. Unless there are obvious red flags, a doctor might not be able to identify these ahead of time.
The Use
There has been some research to show that women and men who are experiencing some kind of psychological issue are more likely to choose cosmetic surgery, but again, there is no solid evidence about it. It also still shows that people don't usually develop psychological issues after having procedures done, but instead that the issues were always there. There is absolutely no reason that a person should have cosmetic surgery to treat a mental illness either. It will never help a mental condition and could put someone at risk of making it worse rather than helping it.
What to do
Having cosmetic surgery to correct or enhance any part of you does not mean that you have a psychological issue either. As we said, most patients are incredibly satisfied with their results and do not require any other procedures to alter anything else. As long as you are not using it as a form of self-therapy, then you should not have any adverse mental effects from the procedure.
If you are considering having plastic surgery done, it might be in your best interests to have a psychological exam prior to the procedure to make sure that the procedure is being done for the right reasons. You should also be very clear with your procedure goals at your consultation appointment, putting yourself and the doctor on equal footing with understanding your expected results.
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