If
you hate your nose, eyes or lips despite repeated assurances from
family and friends, then cosmetic surgery is certainly not for you.
Cosmetic surgeons and psychiatrists say such people actually suffer
from Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). Those suffering from it have
compulsive mirror checking or mirror avoidance behaviour.
"These
patients are convinced they will feel better about themselves after
surgery, but they actually feel the same, if not worse," said Anup
Dhir, a senior consultant in the department of cosmetic surgery at
Indraprastha Apollo Hospital.
Take the example of college
student Rina Singh. She hated her nose and would spend hours in front
of a mirror. Her parents tried in vain to convince her that there was
nothing wrong with her, but that didn't help.
It was only when
she met a psychiatrist at a city-based hospital that she was diagnosed
with BDD. The disease affects one in 50 people, mostly teenagers and
20-somethings and could either be a gradual development or be abrupt.
Cosmetic
surgeons and psychiatrists say that a person who has low-self esteem,
eating disorders or feels he or she is a failure because of perceived
physical flaws should not go for plastic surgery.
"While plastic
surgery is great for the majority of the population, some people's
desire for plastic surgery goes beyond wanting to enhance or maintain
their appearance," said Dhir.
"At one time or another we all
worry about our appearance, but when you wake up degrading your nose,
hair, chest, weight and then continue to have these thoughts all day,
that's when there is a problem. This small minority of people may be
driven by an obsession or psychological disorder called BDD," Dhir told
IANS.
BDD is a preoccupation with a slight or imagined defect in
appearance, he said. "Often, the preoccupation creates serious
disruptions in the person's daily activity."
In fact, many people with this illness have difficulty maintaining a job or
sustaining social relationships.
Dhir said he has met several people with these symptoms who came to him for
cosmetic surgery.
Psychological
evaluation and even consultation with a professional psychiatrist are a
part of the patient selection process for cosmetic surgery.
"Before
we start the process, we find out about the person. And if it becomes
clear they are obsessed with their looks then we send them to a
psychologist," Dhir said.
This is because doctors know that even
after cosmetic surgery the situation will be the same. "They will
continue to find fault with their looks and the whole exercise will be
a waste," he said.
BDD could also lead to other psychiatric problems.
Said
M.S. Bhatia, professor and head of department of psychiatry at the Guru
Tegh Bahadur Hospital, "All self-degrading thoughts among such people
about a perceived flaw are distorted.“
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