Barbie Wannabe: The truth behind Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Plastic Surgery

We all have whined about the way we look on occasion like bigger eyes, a v-shaped face, a smaller nose or a slimmer waist. But for people who have Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) this concerns is constant that they will go shocking lengths to change or cover the way they look. People with BDD are 15 times more frequent in patients to seek for obtaining plastic surgery. Moreover, BDD patients have been found to have an increased tendency toward performing violent or threatening behaviours toward their surgeons.

To a person who has BDD, happiness is always related to beauty. Although this person may even look beautiful to others, they are often defeated by negative feelings about their appearance. Alicia Douvall, a former English glamour model and also known to be Simon Cowell’s ex girlfriend is a self-confessed plastic surgery addict. She had spent over £1m on over 350 plastic surgery procedures all over her body such as injections of Botox and fillers, nose jobs, remove implants and a rob and toes shortened with a goal to look like a human Barbie. She told the surgeons she wanted to be ‘perfect’. Surgery is the primary thing she wanted to spend money on.

However, the surgeries didn’t give her the look she wished to have but it ruined her body, her face and even her relationship with the person who means a lot to her, her daughters. She mentioned that her surgery addiction was driven by her undiagnosed battle with BDD. She said: “I was on anti-depressants because I was so upset about what I had done to myself and it was my psychotherapist who suggested I might have dysmorphia”. She was also sent to rehab where she was treated like other addict. There was lots of psychotherapy that they helped her to build herself up from scratch. After the therapies, she believes: “I may need surgery again to correct damage caused by too many operations, but I won’t if I can help it”.

Douvall’s plastic surgery obsession is not just simply vanity. It is BDD. It is a psychological disorder manifesting in a perceived flaw of the person’s body appearance. She believes that her obsession to look beautiful is caused by an unhappy childhood, with her father calling her ugly. She had her first breast enlargement as a teenager when she was a glamour model that earned a huge amount of income. Although the changes she paid for her appearance, she was never believed being beautiful enough.

She is now recovered and has survived these challenges of her life. She is having a stable relationship with an anonymous billionaire who helped her bounce back in the right shape and mindset. During an interview, Douvall warned plastic surgery striver that undergoing the operation is not a cure for life’s insecurities and problems.

When BDD is behind cosmetic surgery addiction

BDD patients always display unrealistic expectations about surgery. They may think that the operation will lead them to a better relationship or a higher paying career. In some cases, it is disturbing for some BDD patients to have more and more cosmetic surgeries in desperation to achieve that ‘perfect look when they are satisfied with their cosmetic surgery results. Unfortunately, in their pursuit of perfection, they end up diminishing rather than enhancing their natural beauty.

Does Cosmetic Surgery really help Body Dysmorphic Disorder?

Plastic surgery can enhance the spirit and the body. Its many advocates can boast the physical and mental benefits. However, behind the growing popularity of cosmetic surgery always lies insidious factors like peer pressure low self-esteem, bullying and even Body Dysmorphic Disorder. When there are pre-surgery screening points toward BDD, the patient should be referred to a psychotherapist or a mental health treatment.

Reference:

Fletcher,V. and Petre, J. 2013, ‘Why did nobody stop me wasting £1m to be the world’s most nipped and tucked woman? Alicia Douvall’s 16 boob jobs, six nose jobs and 308 cosmetic treatments’, Daily Mail Australia, viewed 7 September, 2016, <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2297998/Alicia-Douvall-Why-did-stop-worlds-nipped-tucked-woman-wasting-1m-16-boob-jobs-eye-watering-308-cosmetic-treatments.html >