What the experts say

Experts and authorities are very knowledgeable about the dangers of plastic surgery, as well as its "epidemic" status in modern culture. Doctors take caution and know the risks of undergoing surgery. They caution that not all procedures, even those that are minimally invasive, may work. Joseph O'Connell, a plastic surgeon based in Westport, Connecticut, says, "We're concerned about complications. [We're also] concerned about effectiveness, and we're not sure about the longevity of results." For some patients, the desire for more work done grows with each procedure. It doesn't take a trained eye to notice a person who has had too much work done. But where does one draw the line between simply having frozen features and the extent of obsession? Dr. Roxanne Guy, president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, feels that there can be such a thing as too much plastic surgery. She say that too much is "when patients repeatedly turn to the scalpel to fill an emotional need." In some cases, where the patient is diagnosed with BDD, a debilitating preoccupation with small flaws, she feels that they "need to be referred for a psychological evaluation" rather than following through with their desired surgical enhancements. Dr. Rod Rohrich, a Dallas surgeon and president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons feels that there is a strong impact of Hollywood on the average person's perception of cosmetic surgery. He said that "the public is being lulled into the sense that there are no real risks or complications. We're already seeing the impact. I have patients saying they want all these things done in one operation, and you can't safely do it. It's not like buying groceries or shoes. You can take those back. You can't take your face back."