People may need to consider whether the potential risks of plastic or cosmetic surgery outweigh the benefits, as well as how the surgery may affect their physical and mental health. Plastic and cosmetic surgery is neither good nor bad. Both types of surgery have advantages and disadvantages. For example, a person may want to undergo plastic surgery to help treat severe burns or congenital disabilities or to rebuild the breast after a mastectomy.
People may have unrealistic expectations about the results of cosmetic or plastic surgery. However, health insurance may cover reconstructive plastic surgery, depending on the procedure. If people have an underlying mental health condition, such as body dysmorphia, physical changes may not change the way they see themselves. The main procedures will require recovery and downtime.
People may need to take time off work and may need help from others with daily tasks. Before undergoing cosmetic or plastic surgery, people should take time to consider the risks and benefits of the procedures. If a person is considering surgery, it is recommended that they talk to a health professional, seek surgeons with extensive experience and training and who have realistic expectations about results. There are different types of plastic surgery, and Medicare can cover the costs if the procedure is medically necessary.
If someone thinks they may have BDD or another mental health condition, it's important to address this condition before undergoing cosmetic surgery. People can undergo cosmetic surgery to change the appearance of their face or body, such as nose surgery or a facelift. Patients who watched a significant number of reality shows about cosmetic surgery reported that television and the media had a greater influence on cosmetic surgery, compared to low-intensity viewers. In fact, people with exceptionally low self-esteem and low life satisfaction may suffer from depression, meaning that cognitive therapy, unlike cosmetic surgery, would be more beneficial.
The second factor on the benefits of cosmetic surgery showed that predictor variables represented 41% of the variance. Plastic surgeons perform plastic surgery, while surgeons or other doctors, such as dermatologists, can also perform cosmetic surgery. The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery notes that plastic surgery aims to treat areas of the body that don't work as they should or improve appearance. Religiosity is a powerful determinant of a person's attitude to several controversial issues (21—2), and therefore, perhaps not surprisingly, it determines attitudes towards cosmetic surgery.
Markey and Markey (1) recently examined the interest of young American women in undergoing cosmetic surgery. The increased sociocultural pressure on women to conform to social ideals of attractiveness (as demonstrated by the prevalence of body image and eating disorders among women) was expected to serve to normalize their interest in cosmetic surgery. The present study aimed to expand knowledge about the spectrum of reasons one may have to undergo cosmetic surgery. It showed that non-religious people with low self-esteem and low perceived self-attractiveness were more willing to undergo cosmetic surgery.
Most studies exploring the reasons one may have to perform cosmetic surgery have focused on patient samples. The regression showed that women, with few religious beliefs, a low level of satisfaction with life and a high general consumption of media, were better accepting the benefits of cosmetic surgery.
