The Need for Mental Health Checks in Plastic Surgery: A Growing Concern
In a world increasingly influenced by social media and the pursuit of aesthetic perfection, a leading doctor is calling for stricter mental health assessments before plastic surgery procedures. Dr. Christopher Rowland-Payne, the first president of the Royal Society of Medicine’s new Section of Aesthetic Medicine and Surgery, believes that cosmetic doctors must be equipped to recognise psychological issues in their patients.
The Rise of “Helen of Troyism”
Dr. Rowland-Payne highlights a phenomenon he calls “Helen of Troyism,” where individuals become overly fixated on their appearance, believing they can never be beautiful enough. Inspired by the legendary Greek figure “whose face launched a thousand ships,” this modern obsession is largely fuelled by social media, where edited and filtered images create unrealistic beauty standards.
Young people, particularly women, are disproportionately affected. The rise of “selfie culture” has contributed to what Dr. Rowland-Payne describes as an “insatiable yearning” to enhance one’s looks. This is especially concerning when it becomes irrational, leading to conditions like Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD).
The Role of Cosmetic Doctors
Given the serious mental health implications, Dr. Rowland-Payne urges aesthetic doctors to go beyond their technical skills and develop psychological expertise. He suggests that some patients seeking cosmetic procedures may be better served by therapy rather than surgery.
BDD, which affects 1–2% of the population and around 6% of young women aged 17–19, has one of the highest suicide rates among mental health disorders. This alarming statistic underscores the need for responsible decision-making in the cosmetic industry.
Striking a Balance
The desire to enhance one’s appearance is natural, but when it becomes an unhealthy obsession, medical professionals must step in. Striking a balance between aesthetic aspirations and mental well-being is essential to ensure that cosmetic procedures are pursued for the right reasons.
Dr. Rowland-Payne’s call for mental health checks in aesthetic medicine is a crucial step toward protecting vulnerable individuals from the darker side of beauty culture. As the industry evolves, ensuring that psychological well-being is prioritised alongside physical appearance is more important than ever.
What are your thoughts on mandatory mental health checks before cosmetic procedures?
The moment you start your journey with us, is the moment you’ll also start working with our wonderful aftercare team which is lead by Cosmetic Surgery Nurse
Elaine, who acts under the instructions of your operating surgeon and is a specialist in surgical after-care. Elaine has over 40 years’ experience in this field and is trusted,
professional, and highly skilled and accomplished. Her team is just as exceptional as she is, and you’ll feel protected and cared for from the moment you meet them.
During The Op Our wonderful nursing team will be there on the day to assist the surgeon, but also to ensure that you’re ok physically and mentally. Perhaps you’ve got
more questions to be answered, perhaps you’re feeling cold, and they can get you warming garments. Whatever you need on the day, they will be there for you, right by your side.
Pre Op Care In case you missed asking questions in the consultation/s, or maybe you’ve thought of others afterwards; you can call
our dedicated team and ask any questions, big or small, in order to put your mind at ease and ensure that you have all the
information you need before your op. We always want to make sure that you are going into the surgery confidently, knowledgeable and fully informed.
Post Op Care We encourage all patients to make use of our Red Rose Desire leading aftercare service, a service we are known for and that we are extremely
proud of. In your initial consultation, your surgeon will have given you an idea of recovery expectations for your body and surgery specifically, and after
the operation they will go through your own personalised recovery and aftercare programme with you.
When our bodies go through surgery of any kind, they all take different timeframes and methods to heal and settle in. This can be dependent on many factors including type of surgery, health, age, skin type, whether you smoke / drink and so on. Post op and during the healing process, you’ll have all the information on how to care for and clean your insertions, with specific medical dos and don’ts and guidelines from your surgeon. However, it’s very common and normal for you to wonder if something is OK, not healing correctly, or is a cause for concern. This is where our aftercare is essential. Being able to call and hear a reassuring, experienced voice to
let you know that something is typical, can help your body and mind feel at ease, so you can concentrate on recovery without any apprehensions.
Our nurses and dedicated recovery team are specialists in their fields, and are highly competent, trained and most importantly caring and empathetic.
Remember that recovery after surgery takes time and patience. Try to take moments to yourself and pay attention to how you’re feeling both physically and mentally. Be kind to yourself and don’t push too hard or
too fast. Reach out to friends and family if you need help with childcare, shopping, food or dressing and of course reach out to us whenever you need to. We do this daily; we know what you are going through and therefore can offer our expertise, assurance, and advice. We are with you and here for you, every step of the way throughout your journey with us, and beyond.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
