Post-Divorce Cosmetic Surgery on the Rise

Post-divorce surgery is becoming an increasingly popular trend in the United Kingdom and the United States. A recent survey by the Transform Cosmetic Group in Britain found that over 25% of cosmetic surgery procedures performed are on newly divorced women. Some surgeons say this number is even higher in their practices. "One third of my patients are immediate post-divorce cases," Dr. John Anastasatos, a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, told stylelist.com. 

A study by the National Women's Health Resource Center found that 42% of women wished to improve their physical appearance after divorce. Of those who desire to improve their appearance, 45% said they would be willing to consider plastic surgery.

The most popular surgeries women are receiving post divorce are breast augmentations, tummy tucks, liposuction, eyelid lifts, and facelifts.

Experts believe many women go under the knife to improve their self-esteem and regain their confidence after a divorce.

"The effects of plastic surgery are not only skin deep; they have a profound emotional and psychological uplifting effect. People feel reborn after," Dr. Anastasatos says. "They feel like they can have a second shot at their personal lives."

However, cosmetic surgeons are warning patients that surgery is not a cure for emotional distress. "Clients who come in who are bitter or angry about their divorce and looking to use surgery to either make their spouse jealous or to just fill in some type of emotional void, those are the ones that I think we really need to counsel carefully," Dr. Jon Turk, a New York City plastic surgeon, told Good Morning America in a recent interview.