Cosmetic surgery ads: Youngsters at mental health risk: Expert

Cosmetic surgery ads: Youngsters at mental health risk: Expert

By Nebal Snan

KUWAIT: Advertisements of cosmetic surgery procedures could negatively affect the mental health of young people in Kuwait, a psychology expert says. The large billboard ads dotting the streets of Kuwait all year round, while advertising for cosmetic services, are also sending young people a message: you are not worthy if you don’t match society’s beauty standards. Gracing the ads are pictures of women who arguably represent those standards – all with perfectly sculpted features, fair skin, full lips and almond eyes.

Dr Hassan Al-Mousawi said the consistent exposure to these images, whether on the streets or in social media, might result in a skewed perception of beauty among young women, often leading to more serious mental disorders, from anxiety to self-harm. The unrealistic beauty standards not only put women at risk, he said, but also men who have been recently going under the knife more frequently compared to previous years.

The more people view these images, the more likely they will subconsciously internalize that their value as people lies within their appearance and not their character traits and behaviors, said Al-Mousawi. These beliefs could lead them to jump from one procedure to the next, continuously changing their appearance in hopes of