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When thinking about addiction, the most common thoughts are usually alcohol, drugs or even sex, but over the last decade, cosmetic surgery has become increasingly popular, with millions of people now addicted to trying to improve their appearance.
Celebrity culture has made cosmetic surgery seem a lot more appealing and needed to both men and women who feel the need to nip, tuck and dramatically alter their bodies in order to achieve their idea of perfection. It is now socially acceptable to have botox treatments or a cosmetic procedure with more and more self-conscious people turning to surgery.
In November last year, American actress Heidi Montag proudly announced she had undergone ten cosmetic procedures in one day, with a boob job, liposuction, chin reduction, buttock augmentation and botox in her forehead to name a few. The 23 year old Hills star says she is ‘beyond obsessed’ and will continue to have surgery in the future to maintain her looks. Sharon Osbourne has also openly admitted spending over £300,000 on extensive surgery in order to look the way she feels more confident.
However it is not just celebrities who are turning to surgery to enhance their looks. Many people believe that their ideal appearance can be created by surgery and are now having unnecessary procedures such as boob jobs and liposuction purely to look better and have the perfect body. Yet, because the idea of the ‘perfect body’ is rarely achieved, patients will then have more surgery, creating an addiction. Those who insist on more surgery, despite being seen as attractive to others are often thought to have psychological problems for example body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) or ‘imagined ugly syndrome’. This disorder makes suffer think they are hideous and require surgery in order to improve the way they look.
Cosmetic surgery is also very accessible and can usually be done with no questions asked. While some people have had procedures and come away happy, there are many people who have found their plastic surgery addictions to have disastrous results. Pete Burns, former frontman of Dead or Alive reportedly spend the majority of his life savings on reconstructive surgery lasting eighteen months after his lip-filler procedure went wrong.
While many of us have areas of our bodies we would like improving, people with an addiction to cosmetic surgery do not know when to stop. From Michael Jackson to Jocelyn Wildenstein, the need to have the perfect face or body becomes a habit and lifelong obsession with not all results being so positive.
Female first: Jessica Leal
Tagged in Cosmetic Surgery