The psychological and physical impact of cosmetic surgery
Both men and women are becoming increasingly concerned about their physical appearance and are seeking cosmetic enhancement. Cosmetic surgery has become increasingly popular in recent years, with more and more people opting to undergo procedures to improve their physical appearance. While there are many benefits to cosmetic surgery, it is important to consider the potential risks and implications of such a decision.
Patients who have unrealistic expectations of outcome are more likely to be dissatisfied with cosmetic procedures and part of my job is to identify these patients and decline my services.
Occasionally, some people are never satisfied with cosmetic interventions, despite good procedural outcomes. Some of these have a psychiatric disorder called “body dysmorphic disorder”. (BDD) Plastic surgeons must be able to identify potential indicators of BDD that could lead to adverse psychological consequences after cosmetic procedures.
Most people feel satisfied with their decision after cosmetic surgery, as it can help them to feel more confident and comfortable in their skin. I personally focused my practice on procedures which offer both the physical and psychological benefits (I often call these procedures functional plastic surgery) such as breast reduction, tummy tuck, labiaplasty or upper eyelids surgery. Mummy makeover procedures/menopause makeover procedure on the other hand are in my opinion empowering and allow my patients feel more confident and comfortable in their skin. I have already written about these procedures here.
We do know, factors such as a patient’s preoperative mental status, level of education, type of cosmetic procedure, postoperative healing time, sex, and age play a role in determining the direction and magnitude of psychological change after cosmetic surgery.
At the end of the day, the decision about undergoing a cosmetic procedure is deeply personal and as I always say: The idea is not to have surgery but to have the right surgery with the right surgeon”
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