1. Psychology in Everyday Life—FALL 2011/2012
PSY212
Final Assignment
Botox for Boredom
Prepared for
Dr. Justin Thomas
Zayed University, Abu Dhabi
Prepared by
Mira Al Abdullah
M80000771
January 12, 2011

2. Botox for Boredom
A 23-year-old Emirati national has had over 9 cosmetic procedures to satisfy her need
of looking beautiful and to “keep busy.” Sara, a graduate from AUS, has done over 6
minor cosmetic procedures, two nose jobs, one breast augmentation, and one buttock
lift. When asked for the reasons behind it, she simply said, “I’m bored.” Although that
may seem like an unreasonable motive to have surgery, Sara expressed how she
always seems to find something in herself that “needs to be fixed.” Showing a picture
of a model on her mobile phone’s wallpaper, she said “I would do anything to look
like Adriana Lima, isn’t she breathtaking?”
Many teenagers look at pictures in magazines and aspire to look like the “gorgeous”
celebrities and models that are displayed all around them. Although they know it
involves a lot of makeup and the obvious touches with Photoshop, they still seem to
believe that is what they truly look like. Jawaher, a 17-year-old student in high school
said, “I know they wear makeup and Photoshop is used, but they are still so pretty!”
Not too long ago there was a 10-year-old in America who was pleading with her
parents for their approval to have Botox and plastic surgery to look more like Miley
Cyrus. Dr.Phil McGraw, a former psychologist and talk-show host said, “I know
Miley Cyrus, I know Kim Kardashian, they don’t look like that. That’s all smoke and
mirrors and lighting and makeup and shadowing and lenses and photoshoping...when
you’re trying to immolate a fantasy, then you’re never going to measure up”
(McGraw, 2011). Many teenagers have role models, mostly celebrities, who they look
up to and long to look like. Surgeons all over the world hear from patients, “I want J-
lo’s butt”, or “I want my lips like Angelina Jolie,” but what they are really saying is “I
want to naturally look like what they look like after all their surgeries, makeup, lights,
and photo-editing.”
Although teenagers and young adults are turning to cosmetic surgery to boost their
self esteem or give themselves a “new look”, they seem to forget that their body is
still fragile and in the process of developing. Ever looked at a picture of you a year or
two years ago and thought to yourself “I can’t believe that’s me!” Dr. Franklin Rose,
a board-certified Houston plastic surgeon, explained that there can be a lot of future
problems for teenagers who have cosmetic surgery at such a critical age, their bodies
are still developing, and their skin is very “tender” and “thin” (Rose, 2011). An 18-
year-old patient of Dr.Rose was asked to describe the pain after surgery, she said it
“feels like somebody has been throwing bricks at my breasts” (ABC News, 2010).
Many adults turn to cosmetic surgery to beat their age, but teenagers have a
completely different reason. After all, how many wrinkles can a 15-year-old have? A
study by two plastic and reconstructive surgeons, Mary H. McGrath and Sanjay
Mukerji, from the George Washington University Medical Center, found that besides
the main reason of boosting their self esteem, teenagers also turn to cosmetic surgery
because “our society places a high premium on physical attractiveness and rewards
who are slender, youthful and handsome.” In addition, they explained that we now
live in a culture that encourages “self-improvement” to help people “gain a
competitive edge” (Mann).

3. After understanding the main reasons behind a teenager’s choice to do plastic surgery,
it’s fairly easy to predict that the most common surgical procedures among teenagers
are otoplasy (ear surgery), rhinoplasty (nose surgery), breast augmentation, and
treatment of gynecomastia (“excessive breast development” in teenage boys),
according to The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the largest
organization for plastic surgery in the world. (ASAPS). Dr. Sam Rizk, the director of
Manhatten Facial Plastic Surgery, said that 25% of his patients who he had done nose
surgery for were teenagers, with the youngest being 13 (ABC News, 2011).
When Maryam, a 19-year-old Emirati national, was asked if she would consider
having plastic surgery, she said she wants to have work done on her nose and hips.
Maryam feels very insecure with the way she looks, and she strongly believes that it
will boost her confidence, give her a “new look,” and help her “be satisfied” with
herself. Dr. Rizk explained in an interview, with ABC News, that “we are judged by
the way we look, whether we like it or not, it’s a fact of life.” However, he stated that
although bullying may make people stronger, “in some cases it doesn’t build
character, it destroys character.” (ABC News, 2011)
When 30 Emiratis under the age of 25 were interviewed at random, 37 percent
thought cosmetic surgery was a good idea if a person felt uncomfortable in their own
skin. However, the rest felt it should only be considered if the person was deformed or
had an accident. So how common is plastic surgery in the Emirates? Going out to the
malls, or a walk down the Corniche, you will probably find someone who you may
find yourself looking at and wondering, “Did she have something done?” Published
statistics answering the question, “How many females under the ages of 25 have had
procedures done in the UAE?” are nearly non-existent. However, looking at how
common plastic surgery is, Dr. Ali Numeiri, the chief of the Division of Plastic
Surgery, said that over Dhs300 million was spent on plastic surgery in 2010
(Emirates, 2011). Adding to that, Dr. Luiz Toledo, a specialist in plastic and
reconstructive surgery at the Mercato Family Clinic in Dubai, stated in an article that
over 25% of his patients were UAE nationals, 11% from the United Kingdom, and 7%
from Lebanon (Hassan, 2008).
Looking back at the earlier case of Sara, where she always seemed to find something
that “needs to be fixed,” Dr. Toledo wrote in his website that there is a psychiatric
condition known as Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), where people constantly find
imagined flaws in what they look like, feeling ugly, depressed, and even suicidal.
According to Dr. Toledo, many people with BDD are undiagnosed because they
“often don’t reveal their symptoms to people because they are too embarrassed”
(Toledo). If surgeons find that their patients keep coming back for more to “fix”, they
need to guide their patients to a psychiatrist, as no amount of “plastic” will make them
happy.
Plastic surgery may help raise a teenager’s self esteem, but is that really their only
option? Out of the millions who walk around you, are you the only one with a
crooked nose, flat chest, or pointy ears? No one likes “normal” or “perfect” anymore,
and it’s those specific differences that make us unique. However, whether it gives you
character or breaks it, is all up to you.
Names have been changed for privacy of interviewees.

4. References
Emirates 24/7. (2011). Dh300m spent on cosmetic procedures in UAE. Retrieved
January 2, 2012, from Emirates 24/7:
http://www.emirates247.com/lifestyle/health/dh300m-spent-on-cosmetic-
procedures-in-uae-2011-02-21-1.358878
ASAPS. (n.d.). Teens and Plastic Surgery. Retrieved January 2, 2012, from Surgery:
http://www.surgery.org/media/news-releases/teens-and-plastic-surgery
Rose, F. (2011). Dr. Phil Show featuring Dr. Franklin Rose- Plastic Surgery Advice
for Tweens. Retrieved January 2, 2012, from YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYbU2Jp2yiw&feature=related
Hassan, E. (2008). Local trends in plastic surgery disclosed. Retrieved January 2,
2012, from AME info: http://www.ameinfo.com/164456.html
Mann, D. (n.d.). Is Plastic Surgery a Teen Thing? Retrieved January 2, 2012, from
Medicine Net:
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=51431
ABC News. (2011). ABC Nightline's Lead Story- Interviewing Dr. Sam Rizk and his
patient about teen rhinoplasty. Retrieved January 2, 2012, from YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2VJ10KVo0Y&feature=related
ABC News. (2010). The Price of Beauty: Teens Under the Plastic Surgery Knife.
Retrieved January 2, 2012, from YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0eKEVrkKC0&feature=related
Toledo, L. (n.d.). Dr. Luiz Toledo- BDD. Retrieved January 2, 2012, from Luiz
Toledo: http://www.luiztoledo.com/patients.html