As these procedures become increasingly normalized around the world, a new study conducted by researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI) suggests that, for some women, repeated treatments may become addiction-like rather than being aimed at looking somewhat better.<\/p>\n
The procedures performed in the study were surgical, such as liposuction to remove abdominal fat, face and head procedures like facelifts, body and buttock lifts, and nonsurgical procedures like the injection of botulinum toxin to minimize wrinkles.<\/p>\n
The study found that one in five women who had undergone cosmetic procedures met the threshold for moderate-to-severe risk of addictive cosmetic procedure use, with low body esteem<\/a> and problematic social media use emerging as the strongest risk factors.<\/p>\n The study was led by Dr. Vera Skvirsky, together with Dr. Uri Lifshin, Dr. Dvora Shmulewitz, and Prof. Mario Mikulincer from HUJI\u2019s psychology department and the Israel Center for Addiction and Mental Health.<\/p>\n It was published in the Journal of Health Psychology under the title \u201cPrevalence of addictive use of cosmetic procedures and risk factors among Israeli [Jewish] women.\u201d<\/p>\n While examining \u201cAddictive Cosmetic Procedures Use\u201d (ACPU) among the women, the researchers listed 11 items assessing indicators\/symptoms, including \u201cI wanted to cut down on or stop having cosmetic procedures, but I couldn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n They computed a total score for each participant by summing up answers to the 11 items, dividing the responses into mild (one to three procedures), moderate, (four or five), and severe (six and over) ACPU.<\/p>\n The researchers surveyed 1,614 women between the ages of 25 and 71, making it one of the largest investigations to date into the psychological patterns associated with repeated cosmetic treatments.<\/p>\n Self-esteem, body image tied to addictive patterns of cosmetic procedure use<\/p>\n The findings point to a phenomenon that the team said deserves \u201cgreater attention from both clinicians and the public.\u201d<\/p>\n Among women who had undergone cosmetic procedures, 20% met the threshold for moderate-to-severe risk of addictive cosmetic procedure use during their lifetime; more than 15% reported symptoms that were addictive within the past year.<\/p>\n Across the full sample, nearly 9% of the women showed moderate-to-severe signs of problematic cosmetic procedure use. The researchers adapted an assessment tool originally based on criteria published in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders for substance-related disorders.<\/p>\n Participants were asked questions typically associated with addiction, including whether they had unsuccessfully tried to stop undergoing cosmetic procedures, felt compelled to continue despite negative consequences, or experienced cravings related to treatments.<\/p>\n Previous research has linked cosmetic procedures to body-image concerns and body dysmorphic disorder \u2013 when one can\u2019t stop thinking about perceived defects or flaws in their appearance that appear minor or can\u2019t be seen by others.<\/p>\n But this study goes further by examining whether repeated cosmetic treatments can, in some cases, resemble a behavioral addiction.<\/p>\n Unlike earlier research that focused on patients at cosmetic clinics, this one surveyed women from the general population and found that addiction-like patterns were most strongly associated with the combination of low body esteem and problematic social media use.<\/p>\n While cosmetic procedures are often linked with confidence and self-expression, the researchers found that repeated engagement may also coincide with vulnerabilities tied to body image and digital behavior.<\/p>\n Women with lower body esteem were much more likely to report addictive patterns of cosmetic procedure use, especially when paired with high levels of problematic social media use.<\/p>\n Participants who reported problematic or excessive social media behavior were especially vulnerable if they also struggled with dissatisfaction about their appearance.<\/p>\n The researchers also observed smaller links between addictive cosmetic procedure use and attitudes that gave priorities to traditional gender roles, valued distinct physical traits in partners, or perceived women\u2019s rights advancements as a societal resource threat.<\/p>\n The women studied also had difficulty trusting, relying on, or feeling emotionally safe with others and had more negative attitudes toward aging \u2013 although those relationships were less consistent once multiple factors were analyzed together, they said.<\/p>\n Cosmetic surgeries on the rise worldwide\u00a0<\/p>\n THE FINDINGS were published at a time of a significant increase in cosmetic procedures, including plastic surgery<\/a>, around the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to international estimates cited in the paper, cosmetic interventions worldwide rose by roughly 40% between 2019 and 2023.<\/p>\n Skvirsky, who has advanced degrees in clinical social work from Bar-Ilan University and whose research interests include addiction, mental health, and risk-taking behaviors, was careful not to state that women who undergo many such procedures are \u201caddicted.\u201d<\/p>\n Instead, she designates it as \u201caddictive behavior.\u201d There are strict definitions of addiction in the American Psychiatric Association\u2019s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, and undergoing numerous aesthetic treatments is not on the list.<\/p>\n Skvirsky told The Jerusalem Post in an interview that \u201caddiction is the chronic neurological and psychological condition (a state of dependency), while addictive behavior is the specific action or process that a person repeatedly engages in to achieve pleasure or relieve distress.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Thus, addiction is the disease and the state of the brain; addictive behavior is the symptom.<\/p>\n She and her team stressed that the study does not claim that cosmetic procedures are inherently harmful but that in some cases, repeated engagement may take on characteristics similar to behavioral addictions already recognized in mental health research.<\/p>\n \u201cCosmetic procedures have become very normalized in many societies, and for many people, they may be a positive experience,\u201d Skvirsky said.<\/p>\n \u201cBut our findings suggest that for a meaningful minority, the behavior may begin to resemble other compulsive patterns we see in addiction research, especially when low body esteem and problematic social media use are involved,\u201d she noted.<\/p>\n \u201cWe wanted to understand the psychological factors.\u201d<\/p>\n The researchers cautioned that the study was cross-sectional \u2013 that it couldn\u2019t determine cause and effect.<\/p>\nTHE ISRAEL CENTER for Addiction and Mental Health at Hebrew University. (credit: DUDI LAZAR)<\/p>\n
DR. VERA SKVIRSKY (credit: Noga Shadmi)<\/p>\n