Away from the pursuit of perfection, when is aesthetic surgery a psychological and physical necessity?

Full lips, a straight nose, and a perfect body. These are the beauty standards that many women pursue, especially in light of the huge boom and easy access to aesthetic medicine, and the influence of media and social media that dictate how a woman should look.

This has reached such an extent that the quest for "artificial beauty" has become a sort of obsession in many societies and is creating "duplicates" of women around the world.

However, with the definition of beauty constantly changing with evolving times, can the choice of aesthetic or reconstructive surgery be a health necessity for a woman, and not just a luxury or a pursuit of the “perfect” look?

According to Dr. Chiara Botti, a Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgeon at the Aesthetic Surgery and Medicine Clinic at Qatar Foundation’s (QF’s) Sidra Medicine, one of the key factors in a woman's health is to help her achieve her inner balance.

“A woman undergoes many stages in her life such as pregnancy, childbearing, and the postpartum stage, not to mention aging and its various manifestations, and each of these stages may have an impact on a woman, not only in terms of appearance but also in terms of mental health and the way she feels about herself,” Dr. Botti underlined.

She added: “Therefore, it is not always about looking for luxury or perfection, but about preserving women’s health at various levels, which is what we seek at Sidra Medicine – to provide integrated care for women and meet their unique requirements and needs, and to ensure that they receive the support they need in all of these stages."

Sidra Medicine offers consultations and surgical procedures related to the breast, face-lifts, blepharoplasty, rhinoplasty, ear correction, chin strengthening and body contouring.

Dr. Botti noted that many women resort to plastic surgery due to societal pressure. “Because of the extensive promotion of certain beauty standards, we are witnessing new trends that are attracting a lot of women,” she said.

“Therefore, when dealing with patients at the clinic, I make it clear to them that the option of plastic surgery is justified when its goal is to treat a specific problem, and that the decision to undergo surgery may involve risks and complications in some cases, and that it is only done if the patient’s health condition allows it. For example, many women have to undergo breast reduction surgery because of back issues”.

Dr. Botti also spoke about the stages that must precede the decision of plastic and reconstructive surgery. “Usually, I ask women who come to the clinic for a consultation about a specific problem, such as: How many times a day do you think about this problem? If the answer is that it is a thought that constantly occupies their minds, or if this physical feature causes unhappiness or makes them feel dissatisfied and causes low self-esteem, then it is necessary to realize that the problem has begun to take on negative dimensions, and may escalate to affect their mental health and their ability to live a normal life. It may even affect their social and family relationships.

One of the cases Dr. Botti treated during her career in Italy was a woman who suffered from a broken nose due to physical violence. 15 years after she broke her nose, she finally decided to visit a plastic surgeon, and during all these years, she remembered the violence she experienced each time she looked in the mirror. But after she underwent the surgery, she was able to start her life again.

The Aesthetic Surgery and Medicine Clinic at Sidra Medicine is one that is located within a health and research facility, and includes an integrated team of specialists from its Women’s Services such as endocrinologists, gynecologists, obstetricians, maternal mental health related psychiatrists, and others – an advantage that allows collaboration between doctors, nurses and allied health specialists.

This multidisciplinary system facilitates the provision of a comprehensive treatment journey for patients to achieve the best results with ease and comfort, all while maintaining the confidentiality and privacy of patients' data.

This multidisciplinary system facilitates the provision of a comprehensive treatment journey for patients to achieve the best results with ease and comfort, all while maintaining the confidentiality and privacy of patients' data.

"It is very necessary to conduct lengthy consultations between the patient and the doctor to discover the problem and determine the right procedure. For instance, some of the physical features that a woman has difficulty accepting may be a major cause of many of her mental health issues, at which point psychological evaluation becomes necessary in the treatment plan,” Dr. Botti asserted.

"In other cases, I receive in-clinic visits from women who are looking for shortcuts to losing excess weight through surgery, but plastic surgery should not be seen as an easier or faster way to achieve a better physical appearance without taking into account other health problems that the patient may suffer from, or the need to follow a healthy lifestyle! In these cases, it is necessary to involve the endocrinologist or the nutritionist in the treatment plan, as the case warrants.”

Finally, Dr. Botti said that our health depends on us. “We have to strive to preserve our physical and mental health. We have to satisfy ourselves and not society’s standards and what it imposes on us. We must utilize medical-aesthetic techniques in a way that preserves our distinctive features, helps us restore our natural appearance and overcome certain misfortunes or problems, away from the pursuit of luxuries or artificial looks, and mimicry of others.”