Introduction
Women have been subjected to the idea of beauty and body image for years. As stated by Kelly Brooks, a professor at George Washington University that teaches in the Department of Psychology, cosmetic surgery is something that is viewed as the answer to “building attraction and enhancing one’s physical appearance” (134). The increase in cosmetic surgery has driven Americans to the point of changing their bodies based on cultural conditions and societies’ view on what the meaning of what beautiful is (Davis 29). The rise comes from women being governed into thinking that their “naturalistic identity” is not up to par with the current community (Gibson) (add page #). In 2007, more than 11.7 million cosmetic procedures were performed (Swami 7). Motivations for cosmetic surgery and woman’s…show more content… According to Canice Crerand, a Clinical Psychologist and Assistant Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Plastic Surgery, Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is known as a recurrent disorder among people who want surgical procedures (167). BDD is a mental illness that focuses on a personal flaw. People who have frequent thoughts about their appearance usually suffer from BDD. Research suggests that BDD could be “genetically inherited” (Crerand 169). Crerand describes BDD as having “emotional” and “sexual” conflicts or feelings of poor self-image (170). Another reason someone may want to receive cosmetic surgery is that of social comparison. Kendra Cherry, a psychology expert and author of “Essentials of Psychology”, defines social comparison as something individuals do, such as “evaluate and compare” themselves to others (1). Both Canice Crerand and Kendra Cherry can agree that Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Social Comparison are key factors that play a role in the judgments that people make about themselves leading them to the thoughts of undergoing cosmetic