Cosmetic Surgery & BDD

According to recent findings, the number of plastic surgery procedures performed in the United States increases by 44% per year. Although there are no relevant statistics available for other countries as of yet, it is safe to assume that numbers are going up all over the world. Medical loans and cosmetic surgery finance companies are making elective surgery procedures available to an ever increasing portion of the population and prejudice against recipients of these kind of procedures have all but disappeared.

The question is: Is plastic surgery a good choice for everyone? It would seem not. BDD or Body Dysmorphic Disorder, a condition initially introduced in 1987, is characterized by a fixation with a feature of one’s physical appearance. Sufferers repeatedly change or examine the offending body part - to the point that the obsession interferes with their daily functioning. Studies have revealed that a whopping 7 to 12 percent of plastic surgery patients harbour some form of BDD. In addition, a predominant number of BDD patients who have cosmetic surgery do not experience any improvement in their compulsive symptoms, often requesting numerous procedures to be performed on the same or different body features. Access to cosmetic surgery finance could leave these patients in an incredible amount of debt.

So, how do plastic surgery procedures affect patients mentally? The simple truth is that there are more questions than answers regarding the psychological effects of cosmetic surgery. Few long term studies have been conducted and those that have show contradictory findings. Researchers also criticise the small sample sizes and follow-ups with patients that formed part of these studies. What is required at this stage is thorough, large-scale prospective studies of representative samples of patients, using accepted research instruments. The larger percentage of patients do well in terms of mental adjustment after plastic surgery procedures, but some do not and the field needs to be aware of this to arrange screening for such individuals.

Lately it has become common-place for mental health professionals to work in conjunction with plastic surgeons in order to identify such psychological issues as BDD. This involves looking at the nature of the person’s appearance concern, like whether or not the perceived flaw is as noticeable to others as is to the individual requesting the surgery. This includes accounting for the patient’s internal motivation for surgery – are they doing it for themselves or to please a partner? Surgeons also have to ensure that patients have realistic expectations regarding the outcome of the surgery rather than expecting the procedure to resolve long-established personal issues.

In many ways the mental health sector is only now starting to catch up with the runaway phenomenon that is plastic surgery. Relationships between physical appearance, body image and psychosocial functioning need to be explored, as do those between surgery and psychiatric disorders such as eating disorders, social phobia and sexual functioning. Apart from conducting research, psychologists must also be ready to slot into clinical roles in aiding cosmetic surgery patients – such as conducting pre-emptive assessments that will deem individuals mentally fit for surgery. This may be done by means of empirically based screening questionnaires that will identify patients who may not adjust well after surgery.

It seems although plastic surgery is a common occurrence these days, we are far from fully understanding its psychological implications. If you are considering surgery and not sure if you are a viable candidate, consult your physician. Rather be safe than sorry -as is the case with fire, plastic surgery is a good servant but a bad master.

Frankie has been considering cosmetic surgery finance and came across some interesting plastic surgery websites.