Plastic surgery no replacement for psychiatric support

Plastic surgery does not necessarily raise poor self-esteem or the way in which a patient sees himself or herself. Self-harm and cutting are often examples of symptoms of low self esteem, and so paying a surgeon to do it for you with the self-deluded excuse that it is being 'done for the right reasons', can be merely an extension of that form of inappropriate self-medication. Worse still, some patients return again and again for more jobs', spending every last penny to feed their addiction. For these patients, plastic surgery is little different to a drug and they would be better off reading the article on addiction by Dr Robert Lefever.

Against this backdrop, only around 20 per cent of plastic surgery patients are now referred to psychologists due to their unrealistic psychological expectations, according to cosmetic surgeons at nationwide clinic Mybreast.

Female and male patients who show signs of poor body image are often referred to see a clinical psychologist to analyse whether surgery is the right choice for them. Although these patients are mainly female, Dr Alex Clarke, a psychologist at The Royal Free Hospital in London, says there is an increasing number of men with physical insecurities and psychological issues as well, especially in the area of 'man boobs'.

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