The SoCal Cosmetic Network

Think Cosmetic Surgery will fix what ails you? Think again.

09.08.2010. – Body dysmorphic disorder, it is a mental disorder that people who repeatedly seek cosmetic surgery are afflicted with, according to several studies. People concerned with their looks and feel that a cosmetic surgery here and there for their eyes, nose, chin, or other body parts, will do nothing to improve the mental condition of these people, according to a new study.

Body dysmorphic disorder is a mental condition in which people have become so preoccupied with their looks to the point of being completely obsessed over minor flaws or perceived imperfections. These people will often become so confused by their obsession over physical beauty, that they will become dysfunctional in other aspects of their daily lives. Typically, these type of people are heavy users of cosmetic surgery.

Maybe you recall someone by the name of Heidi Montag? The former “Hills” reality TV star who underwent a myriad of cosmetic plastic surgery procedures in one day, which took over 10 hours to complete… and she is still not done with undergoing more plastic surgery procedures. Heidi Montag is a prime candidate for being diagnosed with body dysmorphic disorder – if she hasn’t already been diagnosed yet!

There are the cosmetic plastic surgeons out there who are willing to abide by patient demands who have this disorder, even though medical guidelines would suggest that these patients should undergo psychological counseling instead of various cosmetic surgery enhancing procedures. It has been estimated that about 7 to 8 percent of people who seek out a cosmetic plastic surgery procedure in the U.S. have the Body dysmorphic disorder.

In this new study, the researchers involved sought to find out whether undergoing various cosmetic procedures actually improves the symptoms of the disorder. Basically, if you are a Body dysmorphic disorder patient and are obsessed about the size and shape of your breasts, then undergo a breast augmentation to fix it, will you now be less obsessed with your looks after the procedure?

The study was composed of 200 people who had been diagnosed with the Body dysmorphic disorder, and about one-third of the people who participated in the study sought cosmetic plastic surgery or some other minimally invasive cosmetic treatment. About one-fifth of the people in the study actually went on to receive the treatment.

Researchers at the Rhode Island Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia found that only 2 percent of the cosmetic procedures seemed to actually help relieve the symptoms of the disorder in those people. Only 25 percent of the patients who were treated, ended up thinking that their appearances were improved because the cosmetic treatment. In some of the patients, the symptoms of Body dysmorphic disorder had actually worsened with them.

The researchers also polled 265 cosmetic plastic surgeons and found that 65 percent of them said they had treated people with Body dysmorphic disorder. But only 1 percent of the cases led to any improvement in disorder symptoms.

The authors of the paper said that people can be successfully treated for the disorder, but the scalpel or syringe isn’t the best method.

“Physicians need to be aware that psychiatric treatments for BDD such as serotonin re-uptake inhibitors and cognitive behavioral therapy appear to be effective for what can be a debilitating disorder,” the researchers wrote.

The study about Body dysmorphic disorder appeared in the July issue of the Annals of Plastic Surgery.

What are your thoughts?

Do you think people with Body dysmorphic disorder should be allowed to undergo cosmetic plastic surgery?

Should cosmetic plastic surgeons that are aware of patients with this disorder be allowed to perform the desired cosmetic enhancing procedure on these people?

Or, should people with this disorder first get psychological help before being allowed to undergo a cosmetic procedure?

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