What is plastic surgery addiction?

A person with a cosmetic surgery addiction develops a fixation on one or more perceived physical flaws or defects and seeks out many surgeries in an effort to “repair” them. 

An obsessive anxiety over a physical component that may just be somewhat flawed or even unconnected to reality might result from surgery addiction. It is believed that there is a strong connection between body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), a mental health condition characterized by a fixation with one’s perceived negative physical traits, and addiction to cosmetic surgery.

What caused plastic surgery addiction?

Both internal and external factors have a significant impact on the mental image that we hold of ourselves. This is a list of the factors that lead to cosmetic surgery addiction. 

1. Childhood trauma : Those who have experienced trauma as children often concentrate on how they perceive themselves. They experience deficits in their self-reported body image as a result, which increases their likelihood of developing a surgical addiction in later life.

2. Bullying at school : Being bullied negatively affects psychological health, which may enhance a person’s desire for cosmetic surgery. Bullying sufferers frequently express a greater desire for cosmetic surgery to correct their perceived defects. According to research presented at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), bullies themselves are motivated to get plastic surgery in order to elevate their social position.

3. Body dysmorphic disorder : is a behavioral condition that frequently co-exists with an addiction to cosmetic surgery. People who have body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) obsess about a physical trait they believe to be faulty, which leads them to engage in repeated, undesired activities like spending a lot of time in front of the mirror trying to hide or correct their flaws. It goes without saying that these bad habits can significantly harm a person’s everyday functioning and create severe suffering. According to research, five to fifteen percent of those seeking plastic surgery have BDD, according to an article in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal.

What are the signs of addiction?

1. Mixing many operations into one operation or doing them quickly, someone who is addicted to cosmetic surgery may have a list of body regions they always wish to fix. This may cause individuals to schedule several cosmetic procedures at once. Even while this could be acceptable in some circumstances, a person who wishes to have more treatments may turn to plastic surgeons who lack the necessary credentials. 

2. Seeing many doctors after being advised not to get the procedure, one doctor could advise surgery junkies that they are not in good enough condition to consider getting plastic surgery. In such an event, people frequently seek out different physicians to locate someone who will do the surgery.

3. Unrealistic expectations regarding cosmetic surgery, a plastic surgery junkie frequently has unreal expectations regarding the outcome of the procedure or how they would feel after it. Most of the time, these hopes are not realized, which leaves patients feeling disappointed since they believe the operation did not go as planned. In the end, this makes them want to make additional changes to their physique. 

4. Making fruitless efforts to quit getting surgeries, you may at some time make promises to yourself or others that you’ll curb your preoccupation with cosmetic surgery, but these promises will ultimately come to nothing. Every time, you break your word and keep obtaining operations to “correct” insignificant or nonexistent problems.

5. ignoring obligations at work, school, or home You will start to neglect obligations at your work, school, and home as worries about your next surgery and recovery from several operations start to take over your life. 

6. Experiencing arguments and confrontations with friends and family: The influence of behavioral illnesses like addiction to plastic surgery extends beyond the addict to include the addict’s loved ones. Such behavioral issues might eventually harm friends and family by resulting in financial difficulty or even bankruptcy.

What are the risks of plastic surgery?

1. A poor cosmetic outcome, which not only fails to enhance looks but also makes one seem worse than they did before the procedure, may be the worst dread of a plastic surgery patient. 

2. Scarring, which is one of the biggest dangers to getting an appealing result; it’s not always foreseeable, but it can usually be managed. By quitting smoking, eating healthily after surgery, and according to the surgeon’s recovery instructions, patients can reduce the incidence of scarring. ​

3. Injury to the Nerves or Numbness, during any surgical treatment, nerves may be cut or injured. But if it’s a face nerve, the outcome is more evident. When such nerves are damaged, the result may be difficulty expressing oneself facially or drooping of the eyes (ptosis) or lips. 

4. Pain and Numbness After Surgery 

5. Infection, there is a chance of infection after every surgery. An infection can be minimized or prevented with proper wound care and frequent hand washing.

6. Hematoma, an external blood clot is referred to as a hematoma. After surgery, a hematoma may form; this usually manifests as a large, bruised region with a blood pocket underneath. Although a hematoma can be big enough to cause pain and even limit blood flow through the region, this condition is occasionally small. The surgeon can decide to use a syringe or another similar tool to drain part of the accumulated blood in the case of a big hematoma. 

7. Necrosis, tissue death can be triggered by surgery or by complications that occur after the procedure. Necrosis is often mild or nonexistent, and normal wound healing eliminates any dead tissue from the incision site.

8. Bleeding, when bleeding is severe or persists after the wound ought to have healed, it becomes a problem. Bleeding after surgery may indicate that the patient is moving about too much too soon after the procedure. 

9. Death, a danger of death exists with every procedure. Even though the danger may be less than 1%, even the smallest surgery has the potential to result in mortality. 

10. Seroma, A seroma is an accumulation of lymphatic fluid around the site of injury, comparable to a hematoma. In a seroma, a pocket of clear fluid accumulates close to the surgical site. If there is a lot of fluid buildup, the surgeon may decide to use a syringe to remove the fluid to shrink the pocket. More invasive cosmetic operations, such a stomach tuck, frequently result in seromas.

11. Blood Clots, not simply aesthetic operations have this danger, but many treatments do as well. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a clot that forms in the leg, is the most typical kind. Until the clot starts to travel through the veins into the heart and lungs, most DVTs do not pose a life-threatening hazard but do require medical care. A clot that spreads to the lungs is a medical emergency that requires prompt attention.

Examples of Hollywood celebrities’ plastic surgery addiction

Jocelyn Wildenstein’s face has been seen by you even if you are unaware of her name. 

For starters, Wildenstein’s face, which has undergone so many cosmetic operations that it now has a feline appearance, is possibly the most visible to people who are unfamiliar with her personal life. As a result, Wildenstein is often mocked as “Catwoman” in some circles. 

In the first year of her marriage to Alec Wildenstein, a French-born, American-raised art dealer, racehorse owner, businessman, and heir to a billion-dollar fortune, Wildenstein underwent an eye lift. After several operations performed over the years, the celebrity has gradually transformed into a feline-like being. She has reportedly spent more than $4 million on cosmetic surgery to alter her look, and she is still not finished.

In conclusion, to avoid being addicted to plastic surgery. Identifying whether or not you have BDD is crucial if you’ve undergone cosmetic surgery and want to make sure you don’t develop an addiction. If you do, the best thing to do is seek therapy for it. 

Speaking with a therapist is still a great option if you do not have BDD but feel that after having a surgery, you desire more. They can direct you along a road so you can be certain you won’t get sucked into a never-ending cycle of cosmetic procedures. 

To express your emotions honestly, you can also get in touch with friends and family. They may also assist in holding you responsible.

Reference.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/story-behind-changing-face-catwoman-9422943

https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-are-the-risks-of-plastic-surgery-3156954