Psychological and psychosocial impact of cosmetic surgery

Recently, there has been a lot of discussion in the press about women and cosmetic surgery and it struck me as rather absurd for this to be a topic of debate for us as Nigerians at this time and stage in our lives as a country, with such a dire political, economic and welfare situation we are in.

However, the more I thought about it the more I asked myself why not? Nigeria, by definition, is a country of wonderful contradictions and absurdity. We aspire to everything and nothing. We are a people that live on the edge; we thrive on extremes and have no limits or boundaries. We are vociferous and extreme in our views on religion, politics and morality; but in direct contrast, many of our daily actions are base, obscene and lacking in humanity.

Interestingly, the issue of cosmetic surgery is one that has been and continues to be of great interest in the UK and America. The difference is that as surgery, it has almost become the norm and a daily occurrence in those parts of the world and both men, women, even some as young as in their early teens, commonly engage in some form of cosmetic surgery.

The discussions usually have to do with the pressure women in particular feel they are under to look young and the general aversion the West has to any form of aging and their obsession with youth.

However, as a form of surgery, people don’t generally tend to die from the procedure (there might be a few exceptions). In contrast, there appears to be a growing number of disastrous results with Nigerian women who have undergone the procedure.

Early this year, there was a young Nigerian woman who lost her life in America after having buttocks implants. There have been a lot of questions as to why they are having such negative results and whether it might be because they are not forthcoming with their full health status.

Any medical procedure which has not gone on as planned can have distressing results. The negative effects of an operation can leave you feeling extremely depressed and anxious. Regardless of the aesthetic results of any cosmetic surgery, having this form of surgery is usually associated with increases in anxiety and a tendency to depression, with an eventual lack of satisfaction with the results. This increased casual use of cosmetic surgery and surgical procedures can result in a life-time of mental health problems.

It would appear that our women might be negligent in doing even the most basic research on cosmetic procedures. They probably rely on encouragement from friends or what they see in magazines and forge ahead on decisions that can have permanent ramifications in their lives. You need to understand what your own health needs are. There are so many detailed questions to ask. How long will the benefits last? Will there be a lot of pain? Will you need anaesthesia? How long is recovery? Is there anything to be done to avoid bruising or speed up recovery? How long has the surgeon been practising, or how many of that particular procedure has he done?

This is your face and your body and cosmetic surgery is a personal, physical and psychological experience. One size does not fit all. Before you embark on something so enormously life-changing and probably unnecessary, you need to be very thoughtful, careful and afraid.

Some women have cosmetic surgery or try a procedure because someone else has persuaded them to try it. Sometimes, the desire is provoked by those feelings of discomfort as the natural aging process sneaks up on us; those innocuous comments that sometimes send women into a tailspin of insecurity and anxiety about their appearance. You need to think clearly and carefully for whom you are about to alter your face or body, in the knowledge that there is no guarantee of the outcome – physically, emotionally and psychologically.

Many women are unrealistic about cosmetic surgery. What are you trying to accomplish? While there is no denying it can do marvellous things for those who have realistic expectations and take the time to do the required investigation and preparations, it is not a magic treatment or a cure-all, and it most definitely cannot give you self esteem on a sustained basis. It is only transient. It will not make an older woman young again and it may not necessarily transform your experiences in life.

Most importantly, cosmetic surgery cannot take the place of a warm, loving healthy relationship with a partner, or the strength and courage you derive from well nurtured friendships. Your external appearance will not alter a damaged internal world.