Plastic Surgery Addiction: Causes, Risks, & Treatment

What Is Plastic Surgery Addiction?

Plastic surgery addiction is not diagnosable but mimics symptoms associated with behavioral addictions. Individuals struggling with plastic surgery addiction continue seeking cosmetic procedures despite negative consequences.

Over time, their behavior often grows into plastic surgery obsessions, impacting various aspects of their lives. They constantly focus on obtaining money for, booking, recovering from, and planning for procedures. They prioritize these surgeries over other life obligations, relationships, and needs.

Signs of Plastic Surgery Addiction

Loved ones may be able to spot a “plastic surgery addict.” Other times, the signs may be more pernicious and invisible. Constant physical changes or excessive time spent recovering from treatment are more apparent indications of compulsive cosmetic surgery. Less obvious signs may include doctor shopping, seeking risky procedures, or referencing future surgeries.

Some common signs of a plastic surgery addiction include:

• Seeking multiple surgeries in rapid succession
• Shopping around for different doctors if one won’t perform the procedure
• Engaging in procedures, even if a doctor doesn’t have experience or credentials
• Experiencing unrealistic expectations about how the surgery will make them feel afterward
• Believing that a specific operation will bring them certain benefits (love, happiness, financial prosperity)
• Experiencing financial difficulties due to the addiction
• Experiencing relationship problems
• Constantly planning for the next surgery
• Feeling as though certain body parts need to be “fixed”

What Causes Plastic Surgery Addiction?

Various factors affect the development and maintenance of an addiction to plastic surgery. Some of these may occur early in life, such as childhood trauma, whereas others may relate to environmental stressors, like the rising use of social media. Comorbid mental health disorders may also exacerbate an underlying plastic surgery addiction.

The following are potential causes of plastic surgery addiction:

Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Body dysmorphia (BDD) and plastic surgery addiction often go hand-in-hand.¹ BDD is an obsessive-compulsive and related disorder characterized by a preoccupation with perceived flaws in appearance. Individuals with BDD may engage in repetitive behaviors (such as seeking plastic surgery) to cope with apparent defects.¹

Individuals with BDD often compare themselves to others, engage in body checking, or compulsively change aspects of their appearance.¹ Someone with BDD often expects plastic surgery to solve every other source of life distress, often becoming hopeless and discouraged when the surgeries do not fix these issues.¹

Childhood Trauma

Childhood trauma may exacerbate the risk of developing plastic surgery addiction. Someone with a history of trauma may seek control and use plastic surgery to regain a sense of security. Over time, the person may become dependent on this maladaptive behavior, contributing to a plastic surgery addiction.

Borderline Personality Disorder

Those with borderline personality disorder (BPD) struggle with unstable self-image, relationship difficulties, and poor emotion regulation.⁶ They tend to view the world as “black and white,” often resulting in the idea that having flaws makes them “less than.” In turn, they may seek cosmetic surgeries to address these issues.⁶

Individuals with BPD also struggle with impulsivity, which may affect the types and amounts of plastic surgeries they seek.⁷ They may also continue requesting procedures due to fears of abandonment, hoping these improvements encourage loved ones to stay in their lives. Ultimately, these behaviors can develop into cosmetic surgery addiction.⁷

Social Media

Sociocultural factors, specifically social media, greatly influence body image.¹ Social media can affect self-esteem, leading many to believe they need plastic surgery to enhance their appearance.

Research suggests that women often feel less satisfied with their appearance when they frequently engage in social media.⁸ As a result, they may seek cosmetic correction to fit idealized images portrayed online or “reinvent” themselves.

Long-Term Effects of Plastic Surgery Addiction

All plastic surgeries carry inherent health risks, from minor complications to severe reactions or sudden death.⁴ A person with plastic surgery addiction may minimize or disregard these risks, even after a surgeon discloses this information. Eventually, multiple plastic surgeries may cause significant financial, social, and emotional consequences

The following are common risks associated with plastic surgery addiction:

Substance Abuse

Recurrent plastic surgeries can be a risk factor for substance use disorder or opioid addiction because many surgeons prescribe highly addictive opioids after procedures to help with pain. 

Taking opioids (even when prescribed) can cause physical dependence and tolerance, resulting in many needing higher doses to experience pain relief. A person may experience unpleasant withdrawal after stopping a prescription, sometimes leading them to continue using to avoid opioid withdrawal symptoms.

Negative Impact on Family & Friends

Plastic surgeries are time-consuming and intense procedures that require significant planning and downtime. Subsequently, excessive surgeries may adversely affect interpersonal relationships.

Friends and family may not understand why their loved one undergoes plastic surgery and become angry. As a result, people with plastic surgery addiction may lie or withdraw from their loved ones due to fear and shame.

Financial Impact

Plastic surgery costs vary but are expensive, and insurance companies rarely cover procedures unless medically necessary. Plastic surgery addiction can quickly become costly, and some individuals may lie about fees, steal money from others, or rack up extreme debt to fund their habit.

Worsening Mental Health Conditions

In some cases, mental health problems worsen after cosmetic surgery. The psychological effects of plastic surgery are numerous, and recurrent procedures may exacerbate body dysmorphic disorder, anxiety disorders, depression, and eating disorders. The individual often feels worse about themself because they never feel satisfied with their appearance.

A plastic surgery addict may “swear off” procedures for a while, only to become tempted once they meet with a new surgeon or learn about a new, revolutionary technique. Over time, this process can undoubtedly aggravate low self-esteem, shame, and loneliness.

Irreversible Physical Damage

With any plastic surgery, sensory or motor loss, permanent scarring, blood loss, and nerve damage can occur. Adverse reactions to fillers may even cause blindness, and pulmonary embolism may result in spontaneous death in severe cases.⁵

Most surgeries recommend specific downtimes and advisories against multiple procedures in rapid succession. However, those with plastic surgery addiction may shop around for different doctors, placing themselves at a heightened risk for physical complications.

Treatment for Plastic Surgery Addiction

Treatment for plastic surgery addiction may help individuals learn to rely less on compulsive behaviors. Various options are available, some of which are more formalized than others. For those with a cosmetic surgery addiction, forming a stable sense of mental health may require individualized therapy, group treatment, medication, or a combined effort. Finding the right therapist who understands behavioral addictions can help you get on the right track. Consider using an online therapist directory and scheduling your initial appointment.

Below are treatment options for plastic surgery addiction:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT for addiction helps individuals change the underlying thoughts and emotions associated with plastic surgery addiction, consequently learning to change their behaviors.
• Exposure and response prevention (ERP): In ERP sessions, individuals gradually expose themselves to the thoughts, emotions, and situations that trigger their need for cosmetic surgeries. Through habituation to these painful triggers, they can learn not to utilize compulsive behaviors as a coping mechanism.
• Support groups: Support groups offer validation and mentorship to individuals struggling with plastic surgery addiction. They can develop new pathways to cope with compulsive behaviors by hearing stories from others with similar struggles.
• 12-step programs: 12-step groups offer support and mentorship through guided recovery programs.
• Medications: Some medications may help curb underlying symptoms of anxiety or depression fueling a plastic surgery addiction.
• Rehab: In some cases, rehab can help people focus their energy on recovery while living in a controlled environment, free of triggers and temptations.

Final Thoughts

Plastic surgery addiction and body dysmorphic disorder can be challenging to overcome. However, seeking support is paramount for your recovery. You can live a meaningful, happy life without fixating on your appearance. If you’re struggling, consider reaching out to a trusted professional today.