According to a new fad, women seeking divorce advice in Pasadena might also be seeking the number of a good plastic surgeon. Earlier this month, The New York Post ran an article about "revenge surgery," or cosmetic procedures that happen after a breakup. The paper profiled several New York women who went under the knife after a bad breakup. From breast augmentation and facelifts to liposuction and beyond, jilted ex-wives are reportedly getting makeovers to stick it to their former spouses. Yet some medical professionals question if a breakup is a good reason to have plastic surgery.
Plastic surgeons around the globe have noted the spike in business as divorce rates have increased. A study conducted by the Transform Cosmetic Group in Britain showed that 26 percent of plastic surgery patients are recently-divorced women. New York cosmetic dermatologist Marina Peredo believes that "revenge surgery" can actually help restore self-esteem to women who haven't dated in a long time.
"It's not about vanity; it's about sanity," Dr. Peredo told The New York Post. "I've gone through divorce myself, and you feel unattractive and unlovable. A lot of these women say, 'You gave me 15 years back,' and if they look in the mirror and like what they see, it really helps get them out of a slump."
Others like plastic surgeon Elie Levine believe caution and research should be used before any surgery takes place. The popularity of plastic surgery, Levine toldAllure, "makes it seem like cosmetic procedures are a very easy thing to make quick decisions about; that it's no different from deciding what you have for lunch today-that you could just do it on a whim. That you could do this for 'revenge.' These are still surgical procedures that you really need to think through before you're undergoing them."
Levine also says that doctors shouldn't encourage procedures for divorcees who might not be ready for them.
"I wouldn't encourage someone who just found out that their spouse is cheating on them and that they're getting divorced to rush over to the local plastic surgeon or dermatologist's office to undergo something. Similarly, I'd hope that the practitioner who they go to see wouldn't be in a rush just to do things, that they're really doing [a procedure] at the right time for the patient."