Am J Psychiatry 1979; 136:199-201
Copyright © 1979 by American Psychiatric Association
Cosmetic surgery as an antecedent of life change
ML Belfer, JB Mulliken and TC Cochran Jr
Of 42 patients who underwent cosmetic surgery, 4 patients, who gave no
indication of an impending life change before surgery, obtained a legal
separation or divorce 3-6 months later. These 4 patients had had strong
parental domination and hostile relationships with younger siblings; they
had a need for success on their own terms and for the rapid closure of
potential conflict. The authors suggest that such patients are undergoing
significant identity changes that become conscious only after cosmetic
surgery, which tests out their shift from passivity and withdrawal to
activity and participation.
