Is Plastic Surgery Good or Bad for Your Mental Health? A Therapist Explains…
The most important thing to consider when thinking about getting plastic surgery is whether you are you wanting to boost existing confidence or striving for unfound happiness that you think you’ll gain through surgical enhancement?
Plastic surgery has long been a topic of debate. For some, it’s an empowering tool for self-improvement; for others, it’s synonymous with unrealistic beauty standards. Here are boutique psychotherapy, we work with individuals daily who are working on building their intellectual and emotional confidence. We also see people who want a quick fix. In today’s world, more and more people are undergoing plastic surgery due to its availability and also increasing affordability. People are even traveling to different countries to strive for their unrealistic desire for so-called “perfection”. Shows like Botched showcase the ways in which people engage in plastic surgery to look plastic not human. But there’s a middle ground that deserves more attention: how plastic surgery can help boost confidence without succumbing to the trap of perfectionism. In a world obsessed with flawless appearances, this perspective offers a balanced and empowering approach to self-enhancement.
Plastic Surgery is a Tool, Not a Necessity.
I tell clients all the time, “what would happen if i stripped you down of everything, all materialistic items, enhancements, make up and put you in a field. Who would you be? What is your soul made of?” It’s facinating how many people don’t know who they’d be without all they wear, carry and show. As a mental health therapist, the most important piece to considering plastic surgery is determining whether it’s going to be a tool for you to feel more empowered, or if it’s a need for you to feel worthy?
Most great plastic surgeons evaluate for disordered eating behaviors or body image issues prior to performing plastic surgery. They do this because with people struggling with these disorders, surgery will not do what it is meant to do and enhance the person’s self image, but rather perpetuate an unrealistic desire to be perfect or continue an internal struggle with their self image. Eating disorders can be qualified in many ways, but one that is often assessed for is body dysmorphia. This is defined as a mental health condition where a person spends a lot of time worrying about flaws in their appearance. These flaws are often unnoticeable to others. People of any age can have BDD, but it's most common in teenagers and young adults.
Plastic surgery, at its core, is about enhancing one’s natural beauty, addressing insecurities, or restoring confidence after a life-changing event. It’s not about transforming into someone else or achieving unattainable ideals. When approached with the right mindset, plastic surgery can be a tool to align one’s outward appearance with how they feel inside.
For instance, correcting a feature that’s caused years of self-consciousness—such as a crooked nose, uneven breasts, or prominent scars—can offer a renewed sense of self-esteem. It’s not about striving for flawlessness but rather eliminating a barrier that’s holding someone back from fully embracing themselves.
Confidence Without Perfectionism
The key to benefiting from plastic surgery lies in the mindset behind it. Confidence comes from feeling comfortable in your own skin, not from meeting an arbitrary standard of beauty. It’s doing what makes you feel beautiful, not doing what you think others would think is beautiful. Perfectionism, on the other hand, is an endless chase that often leads to dissatisfaction, anxiety, and even more procedures that will never result in perfection - simply because it doesn’t exist and is subjective to each person individually and their opinion, attraction and views.
Plastic surgery can empower individuals when:
Goals Are Personal: The motivation stems from personal desires rather than external pressures. It’s about what makes you feel good, not what others expect of you.
Realistic Expectations Are Set: Understanding that no procedure will create perfection helps set a healthy foundation. Instead, focus on achieving a natural and harmonious look.
Self-Acceptance Comes First: When individuals approach surgery from a place of self-love rather than self-loathing, the results tend to feel more fulfilling. The procedure becomes an enhancement, not a crutch. “I love my body and my breasts, but would love them even more if they were bigger” vs.
Real-Life Stories of Empowerment
I chose to get my breasts redone after breast feeding both of my children for a total of 16 months. My previous implants had shifted causing consistent muscle spasms, and they had dropped in the muscular pocket making it less flattering and unnatural looking in their new placement. After carefully considering many plastic surgeons online and going to multiple consultations I decided to go with Dr. Anna Steve at Neinstein Plastic Surgery. As the founder of Boutique Psychotherapy, I take pride in patient-care satisfaction. I treat every person who walks into my office as a “high profile” client because they are one - to me. I’m someone who believes in encouragement, empowerment, and good energy. Everyone at Dr. Steve and Dr. Neinstein’s office was smiling, kind, and their before and after photos spoke to their talents. Each woman didn’t look the same, but rather the aesthetic of their body pre-plastic surgery was simply enhanced by whatever procedure they decided on. On the day of surgery, every person in the surgery center greeted me with “We’re so excited you’re here, how are you doing today?” — I was supported from the moment I consulted to the day I walked out, and then some for their check ins and check ups.
Plastic surgery can also be incredibly life changing for the stories of individuals who’ve undergone reconstructive surgeries after accidents or breast reductions to alleviate physical pain. For them, plastic surgery wasn’t about vanity but about regaining comfort, confidence, and functionality in their lives. Women with multiple pregnancies, a hysterectomy, endometriosis surgeries and others. Plastic surgery is not just about wanting to look like a Barbie, but for many it’s simply a surgical enhancement used to regain confidence and comfort in their body after it’s changed due to medical conditions and interventions.
Even cosmetic procedures like a subtle rhinoplasty or skin-tightening treatments can have a profound psychological impact when done for the right reasons. With the rise of Ozempic and other drugs like it, more and more people are going through liposuction and tummy tucks after rapid weight loss to compensate for the extra skin that exists. A person who’s always been self-conscious about their nose might finally feel free to smile more in photos or speak up in social settings. It’s these small shifts that show how plastic surgery can be life-enhancing without promoting unrealistic ideals.
The Role of Surgeons and Self-Awareness
Ethical plastic surgeons play a crucial role in guiding patients toward decisions that enhance confidence without fostering perfectionism.
A good surgeon will:
Evaluate for body dysmorphia, disordered eating and encourage healthy choices by acknowledging not just your goals, but your mental health too.
Encourage honest discussions about motivations and expectations.
Recommend procedures that align with the patient’s natural features.
Discourage multiple unnecessary surgeries that stem from perfectionist tendencies.
Final Thoughts
Plastic surgery, when approached mindfully, can be a powerful way to boost confidence and improve quality of life. It’s not about chasing perfection but about feeling more like the best version of yourself. Your beauty comes from between your eyes, and travels throughout your mind, body and soul and shows up in the world not just in how you look, but more importantly— how you feel about yourself. By focusing on personal empowerment rather than societal expectations, individuals can embrace the benefits of plastic surgery without falling into the perfectionism trap.
At the end of the day, confidence isn’t about being perfect; it’s about being comfortable and happy with who you are—enhancements and all!
