Is the New Show "Plastic Wives" a Good Idea?

A new series premiered on TLC this week— Plastic Wives, a reality show about women who are married to popular Hollywood cosmetic surgeons (and who have gone under the knife themselves). One of the women featured on Plastic Wives, Danya Devon, says she’s hoping that the show will help remove the stigma that plastic surgery still carries for some people.

I think that part of the reason plastic surgery is still targeted by negative stereotyping is the fact that many people who undergo cosmetic procedures prefer not to talk about it—so it’s encouraging that these women will be discussing their own surgeries (and other, nonsurgical, cosmetic procedures) openly. It could be the spark that ignites a more fairly balanced dialogue about plastic surgery.

Something that one of the other women on the show said to ABC News, though—“I’m kind of addicted”—makes me a little nervous, however. It’s one thing to want to look your best, and to pursue cosmetic procedures that help you achieve that goal; it’s quite another to feel addicted to plastic surgery. This kind of compulsive behavior can be symptomatic of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), a psychological condition that causes people to find a physical flaw (real or imagined) on their face or body and become obsessed with fixing it, and it’s something that should be handled through therapy, not surgery.

If you’ve had multiple surgeries on the same facial feature or find yourself thinking about a particular physical flaw more often than you think is healthy, you should let your doctor know. But if you’re simply someone who’s interested in plastic surgery, you might want to check out Plastic Wives —if nothing else, it promises to be an entertaining show! bluehourdiy