Tips for People Addicted to Cosmetic Surgery
These tips for people addicted to cosmetic plastic surgery are from Dr. Robert Guida, a Manhattan Facial Plastic Surgeon at the New York Center for Plastic Surgery. Here, he describes his experiences with people who have gone overboard on lip enhancements and nose jobs (rhinoplasties).
Before the tips, here’s a quotation from a cover girl:
“I’ve been on the cover of every magazine in the world,” says model Janice Dickinson. “But as a young model, I never felt as beautiful as I looked. I masked it well with alcoholism. I grew up in an abusive home and was told on a daily basis by my father that I would never amount to anything and that I looked like a boy. One of the main reasons I had a lot of plastic surgery was because of the voice of my father. I’ve had my boobs and eyes done, my forehead lifted, and my stomach done. I’m addicted to cosmetic surgery! But plastic surgery hasn’t stifled the voice from my father.”
Ouch. Her appearance can’t shush the voices from her past.
To learn more about plastic surgery, click on the book cover for The Smart Woman’s Guide to Plastic Surgery by Jean Loftus. To read about Dr. Guida’s experiences with people addicted to plastic surgeries, such as nose jobs and lip enhancement surgeries, read on…
Tips for People Addicted to Cosmetic Surgery
How do you know if you’re addicted to plastic surgery? Dr. Guida says, “Patients who do not have addictions are satisfied when they walk away after surgery. Addicts think just one more procedure (and then another, and another, and another) will make them look perfect.”
Body Dysmorphic Disoder and Plastic Surgery Addiction
“Plastic surgery addiction can be the result of Body Dysmorphic Disorder, which is a negative preoccupation with physical appearance in a highly-exaggerated way,” says Dr. Guida.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) involves an exaggerated concern about a minimal physical defect. BDD interferes with daily functioning in a significant way, and appears to others as an extreme self-obsession or self-absorption with one’s appearance. Other symptoms of BDD involve a refusal to be social because of an obsession with physical flaws. People with BDD don’t want to be seen.
Dr. Guida explains that BDD sufferers are at a greater risk of becoming plastic surgery addicts. Read 5 Tips for Building a Healthy Body Image for ways to overcome the effects of BDD.
A Woman Addicted to Nose Jobs
Dr. Guida has seen several patients with addictions to nose jobs and lip enhancement treatments.
“One female I saw had nine or ten nose jobs. She was seeing doctors all over the country,” says Dr. Guida. “I didn’t treat her because she had extremely unrealistic expectations and her behavior (having multiple nose jobs) was obviously unhealthy.”
It’s not just women who struggle with Body Dysmorphic Disorder, or an addiction to plastic surgery. “One of my male patients kept getting nose jobs to make his nose progressively smaller and smaller.”
When is Plastic Surgery Addictive?
Dr. Guida says, “Plastic surgery is addictive when the patient has unrealistic expectations and is doing more harm than good to their appearance. One or two nose jobs is okay and can be necessary, especially if someone had a botched job from a poor plastic surgeon the first time. But nine or ten nose jobs? That’s completely unnecessary and the person is seeking a look that is not achievable or not natural looking and – and it could actually make them look worse.”
This unhealthy obsession can go beyond nose job addictions. “I see patients with addictions to lip enhancements all the time. I even had to ban a couple of women from my office when they wouldn’t stop coming in. The results of Restylane and Juvederm [crystal gels that fill out lips and smooth wrinkles] last from 6 – 9 months. It’s fine if a patient gets it once and has a touch up a week later, after the swelling has gone down. But I’ve seen patients come in for treatments every two or three weeks. That is way too often.”
Treatment for Nose Job Addictions
If Dr. Guida thinks a patient is coming in too often for treatments or procedures they don’t need and might have an addiction, he tells them he can’t treat them anymore and refers them to a psychiatrist. Unfortunately, there are always doctors out there who will treat them, so he often doesn’t know if they simply go to another plastic surgeon….or if they actually get the help they need.
For more information about Dr. Robert Guida, visit the New York Center for Plastic Surgery.
Do you think you’d get addicted to cosmetic surgery if you had a nip and tuck or two? Maybe once you get one surgery, you’re swept away by the benefits and have to keep going back for more…
Are you tired of struggling with debt? Make it your goal to get out of debt this year
If you want to fix a poor credit report, Sky Blue Credit Repair helps with
credit repair, including credit bureau disputes, debt validation, and debt counseling services.
Are your fears about work, family, relationships, or money holding you back from achieving your goals? Try this natural way to end feelings of anxiety and panic.
