What is Too Much Cosmetic Surgery?

Kate Gosselin. Do you know who she is? I didn’t, but apparently she is getting a lot of criticism for having “too much” cosmetic surgery. Fox News included her in the list of celebrities who have had unneeded cosmetic surgery. I actually think she looks fine. Certainly other celebrities have had too much cosmetic surgery. So how do you make that distinction? What is too much cosmetic surgery?

Determining this varies with each patient. The first consideration is safety. Is this person a candidate for the procedure, is it needed, feasible, and is the person in good health? Feasible refers to realistic expectations and whether or not the goal can be reached safely. Whether or not a procedure is needed may be a touchy subject. Some people may obsess over a particular body part that seems fine. This is a dead give-away that the patient may be dealing with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). About 2% of the population has BDD. However, up to 12% of cosmetic surgery patients have this disorder.The desire to look like a particular star or someone else is also a red flag to cosmetic surgeons. When you see pictures of badly done cosmetic surgery on the Internet, or stories about the human Ken or Barbie doll, you can bet these people are victims of BDD. What is disturbing is that there are cosmetic surgeons that will continue to operate on people going to these extremes. Some psychologists say that too much cosmetic surgery can result in detrimental identity issues. Fortunately, as a cosmetic surgeon here in Little Rock, Arkansas, I don’t get many patients requesting extreme surgery of this nature.

Don’t get me wrong, many patients have legitimate reasons for undergoing multiple procedures. Sometimes it is best that procedures be combined, rather than undergoing anesthesia and recovery time more than once. It is not uncommon to combine a face lift with an eye lift, or liposuction with a tummy tuck. Many women combine those and a breast lift in a “Mommy Make Over.” Why a patient wants a procedure is what is at issue here. To get your pre-pregnancy body back is a good reason. This would not be too much cosmetic surgery.

Some procedures require follow-up. This too is legitimate. Obviously, injectable fillers and other non?invasive procedures need to be repeated. And there is a high re-operation rate with breast augmentation because implants are not permanent, and often women want to change sizes. These are simply realities of the procedures and would not count as too much cosmetic surgery either.

Patients need to have a strong sense of self and an awareness of their own emotional changes. So what is too much cosmetic surgery? That question can only be answered individually. The answer is partially based on motivations for surgery, the goals, and a patient’s self image before the surgery. We want to help patients with healthy aesthetic goals at Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center.

Dr. Branman

Call Melinda to set up your consultation at 501-227-0707