Introduction Plastic surgery is a medical field that deals with reshaping some body deformities that may have occurred due to birth defects or accidents. It is also used for other purposes such as treating diseases and beauty purposes. An example of a disease which can be treated through plastic surgery is melanoma. If plastic surgery is carried out for younger looks or beauty purposes, it is referred to as cosmetic surgery. This paper will directly address the issue of cosmetic surgery since it is what has caused plastic surgeries addiction all over the world.
Cosmetic surgeries are never related to any medical condition and are normally done to enhance the physical appearance of an individual. Cosmetic surgery addicts are easily identifiable due to the numerous surgeries they undergo each time claiming that they are not happy with their looks. Many victims of cosmetic surgery suffer from a medical condition known as Body Dimorphic Disorder (BDD). This mental disorder has made people imagine that they look different from others and there is a need for surgery so that they can improve their looks. Discussion.
Cosmetic surgery is a major problem today as a number of people who are addicted to it are doing it repeatedly in order to achieve their imaginary beauty. This practice is becoming frequent and in many instances it is affecting women as they try to change and improve their physical appearances. The problem with such kind of people only exists in their mind because it is hard to view yourself as being ugly from others, it is only a perception. If you view yourself as being ugly from others, the problem will never end even if you undergo so many plastic surgeries.
This perception will directly influence the level of your happiness and accepting yourself the way you are. The practices of undergoing plastic surgery repeatedly in order to feel happy and look like the ones you view as more beautiful than yourself is what doctors refer to as BDD. This condition normally affects both male and females under the age of 18 equally (Gorbis, 2003). People suffering from BDD use plastic surgery as a solution to their unending dissatisfaction with their body physical appearance (Gorbis, 2003). Almost all people who suffer from BDD seek solution to cosmetic surgery.
As a surgeon, you should be able to discover someone suffering from this medical condition and recommend him/her to a psychologist. Any invention has both positive and negative sides but plastic surgery addiction would cause more harm to the body compared to the benefits associated with it. For instance, it can damage the skin and muscle tissue of an individual permanently. Another well-known harm caused by plastic surgery addiction is the permanent nerve damage. This may result to permanent loss of feeling and sensation in all the affected areas of an individual who have undergone plastic surgery repeatedly.
Many individuals who undergo plastic surgery repeatedly to perfect their physical appearances in most cases end up with irreversible damage that make them look awful compared to their original appearances. Plastic surgery addiction cause more harm to the physical appearance of people with BDD instead of enhancing it. People suffering from BDD undergo plastic surgery so that they can attract attention from the public. They later regret when things go wrong. This is an indication that it should be discouraged and people suffering from BDD should be referred to a Psychiatrist or psychologist instead of a surgeon.
Plastic surgery is not cost friendly at all. The operation is very expensive and its outcomes are sometimes not worth the price. What the addicted victims fail to understand is that, plastic surgery operation can only result to two things. That is, a great success or a failure. This means that, the more operations you undergo, the higher the risk of failure (Pruitt, 2009). Many individuals who are addicted to plastic surgery are attracted by what they see in the media. They watch successful surgeries of famous celebrities and think that it might as well work on.
This is not usually the case and the individuals we watch on the media having successful surgeries sometimes develop problems at a later date. Plastic surgery addiction is very different from drugs and other things addiction in that it fulfills people physiological needs. Therefore, it is normally difficult for individuals who are not satisfied with their physical appearance to stop plastic surgery. This is something they are viewing in the mirror now and then. If they are not satisfied with what they see, they will definitely run to a surgeon so that the body part they feel is not well placed can be rectified.
The problem with such an individual is that he/she is likely not to be satisfied with many body parts. Thus, resulting to a series of plastic surgeries so as to be satisfied with his/her physical appearance. In my opinion, I would only recommend plastic surgery to individuals who have a medical problem. I would never encourage cosmetic surgery because it is doing more harm than enhancing appearance of individuals who are undertaking it. Most people who are addicted to cosmetic surgeries perceive themselves in the wrong manner. They normally have their imaginary images on their minds which they think they can turn to after the operation.
This normally does not happen and that is why they undergo so many operations before they realize they are destroying their images. Plastic surgery should only be carried out under medical conditions not for pleasure. Pictures are all over the internet showing how plastic surgery addiction has caused a number of celebrities to lose their good looks. Cosmetic surgery is not good at all because it has not worked well for people who have done it. They are suffering from negative impacts of plastic surgery addiction. It should be therefore be discouraged unless under medical conditions. Conclusion.
Plastic surgery is not bad if it is used for solving a medical condition. However, having a plastic surgery for beauty purposes or look young should be discouraged by all means. It should be discouraged because it might possibly lead to addiction. Physicians as well as public awareness concerning BDD should be increased to control the unnecessary plastic surgeries. Doctors should also try their best to identify troubled patients so that they can direct them to psychologist or psychiatrist who can advise them. There are other treatments other than surgeries which can help people who have problems with their physical appearance.
Psychologist and psychiatrists can really assist individuals with plastic surgeries addiction. The only problem to the control of this addiction is that cosmetic and plastic surgery is so accessible and doctors have not provided a regulation on the number of surgeries an individual should undergo in a given period. References Gorbis, E. (2003, July 3). Addiction To Plastic Surgeries. Retrieved from Hope4ocd: http://www. hope4ocd. com/downloads/gorbis_plastic0703. pdf Pruitt, E. (2009, June 7). Cosmetic Surgery Addiction. Retrieved from PlasticSurgery. com: http://www. plasticsurgery. com/.