Why do people get cosmetic surgery? Is the trend increasing? How does this inform, enhance or distort our self-identity? With a special appearance by Dr Gemma Sharp (body image expert from Monash University), we delve into the world of Body Dysmorphic Disorder and explore exactly why Matt (and millions of others) went ‘under the knife’.

In this conversation we slammed together two worlds: the founder Australia’s largest hair restoration surgery clinic – Mikko Myllymaki, and Dr Ben Buchanan – a clinical psychologist and academic who specialises in Body Dysmorphic Disorder.

With mental health experts warning against the surging popularity of cosmetic surgery, and surgeons fighting to give the people what they demand, are these two worlds at war? Or do they rely on each other in the long run?

Watch this episode: https://youtu.be/cTwzuGsfqRw

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MATT’S SURGERY

https://www.instagram.com/gro.diary.matt

DR BEN BUCHANAN

https://foundationpsychology.com.au

https://www.benbuchanan.com.au

https://twitter.com/ben_buchanan

DR GEMMA SHARP

https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/gemma-sharp

https://butterfly.org.au/chattokit

GRO CLINICS

https://groclinics.com.au

https://www.facebook.com/GroClinics

https://www.instagram.com/groclinics

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00:39 Introduction of Dr Ben Buchanan and Mikko Myllymaki

01:05 Dr Gemma Sharp’s message from Monash University

01:37 Is cosmetic surgery ‘medically unnecessary’?

03:40 Psychological benefits from cosmetic surgery

05:03 Restorative surgery vs surgical enhancement

05:58 Denying the natural process of ageing

07:15 Cosmetic procedures don’t save lives but change lives

10:00 Diversify the sources of your identity and value

11:38 Surgery clinics incentivised to perform more surgery

17:12 Psychologists and cosmetic surgeons – enemies or colleagues?

17:52 Body Dysmorphic Disorder

19:50 Surgery will not solve BDD

23:10 Perverse incentives to enable BDD

25:20 Getting surgery for someone else

29:10 Psychological assessment for surgery

31:47 Braces and orthodontics are pervasive. Why not surgery?

34:05 The cost of hair transplants

35:52 Society’s shifting standards for the ideal look

38:09 The evolution of cosmetic surgery

39:10 Is our self-identity evolving to prioritise image and projections?

41:50 Social media is a tool to fulfil a human need

46:40 How much is your self-identity based on appearance?

48:00 Victoria Beckham

48:30 Good looks matter – and confer advantages

50:40 Introverts, extroverts and their way to be socially excepted

53:45 Attractive people earn more money

56:00 Relationships with ourselves – punitive or kind?

57:59 Is “Beauty At Any Size” a destructive movement?

1:02:40 Fancy cars an extension of our value

1:03:25 Symbolic Self Completion Theory

1:05:25 Human brains are hopelessly biased

1:07:35 Shame before a cosmetic procedure, shame after the cosmetic procedure

1:09:38 Therapeutic value of transparency

1:11:04 Mikko’s message: losing hair is normal and living with it is just as ok as having restoration surgery

1:14:00 Dr Buchanan’s message: you are a person of value independent of what you look like