Add another downside to reading magazines targeted at women — articles portraying cosmetic surgery may mention the physical risks, but rarely talk about the emotional and psychological risks of such surgery:

Of the articles that mention emotional health, only 18 percent suggest cosmetic surgery may be detrimental to emotional well-being, the study found.

Magazines routinely present two “ideal” cosmetic surgery candidates, the study found: an unhappy, insecure, lonely woman looking to boost low self-confidence and self-esteem, and a successful, attractive, confident woman with high self-esteem who seeks cosmetic surgery to maintain perfection.

That’s too bad and likely presents a lopsided picture of cosmetic surgery, which carries with it the common risk that a person won’t really feel any better about themselves after receiving it. Before someone receives, they should definitely research the risks and benefits of the procedure on their own.

I’m not sure who is making decisions about cosmetic surgery based solely on a women’s magazine article. However, when such articles portray the procedure as commonplace with few risks (and mention mostly only the physical risks), it does lead to the likelihood of a biased perception about the procedure in a person’s mind.

Read the full story: Emotional Risks of Cosmetic Surgery Underreported

Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He is an author, researcher and expert in mental health online, and has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues -- as well as the intersection of technology and human behavior -- since 1992. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking and is a founding board member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine.

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Find Out The Truth About Liposuction Risk | Healthcare Blogs (12/15/2008)

Planning Cosmetic Surgery? - World of Psychology | facialsurgery (12/16/2008)

    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 15 Dec 2008
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