Dr. Kalil listens to experts' warnings about the limits of aesthetics

In conversation with doctor Roberto Kalil Filho on CNN Sinais Vitais, which airs this Saturday (30), at 7:30 pm, experts Marcelo Sampaio, plastic surgeon and President of the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery, and plastic surgeon Luciana Pepino warn of the risks of an unbalanced relationship with one's own image.

In a debate about the limits of aesthetic medicine, professionals addressed the warning signs that indicate when the search for changes in appearance stops being healthy and becomes pathological in nature and highlights the health professional's responsibility in identifying - and refusing - procedures that could cause harm to the patient.

The role of the professional in saying "no"
For Luciana, medical responsibility is central to this debate.

"That's where medical responsibility comes in, right? A good plastic surgeon, a good professional who will set limits on how far that procedure can be carried out or should be carried out. Or if it should not be carried out", he said.

According to her, a good professional must be able to deny a procedure when necessary.

Luciana also highlighted that, when a person's happiness starts to depend exclusively on aesthetic aspects, this could indicate something more serious.

"Ah, I can't be happy because I smile and form a wrinkle", he exemplified, illustrating situations in which the patient begins to show signs of a pathological condition.

In these cases, according to her, the person tends to carry out more and more procedures and lose track of what would be natural or normal, always looking for "a little further".

Body dysmorphia and the search for unattainable results
Marcelo specifically addressed body dysmorphia, a condition in which the individual does not accept their own appearance and sees themselves in a distorted way.

"She doesn't accept herself with the way she is. So, sometimes, she sees herself differently in the mirror, or wants to see herself in a different way and seeks results that are absolutely unattainable", he explained.

The condition affects both facial and body aesthetics.

According to Marcelo, a common sign of this condition is a history of multiple unsuccessful interventions.

"Sometimes it's a patient who has already undergone numerous interventions and is eternally dissatisfied. And they always say that the professional they treated previously was not efficient", he reported.

The impact of social networks and digital filters
Experts also pointed to social networks as a factor that worsens this scenario.

Luciana described the phenomenon as an "aesthetic anxiety of social networks", fueled by constant comparison and a certain standardization of beauty.

"The grass is always greener on the other side. And when you use a filter, it becomes even greener", he said.

Marcelo reinforced that patients arrive at the offices bringing references from social networks and digital filters that completely distort people's real appearance.

"You go to a social network, sometimes you are surprised, you see that photo that the person posted on Instagram... which is not the person", he commented.

According to him, the filters create images with altered skin, a smaller nose and a different jaw contour - characteristics that simply do not correspond to the patient's reality.

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Source: CNN