A top plastic surgeon has warned that a surge in freak operations is turning people into “aliens”.
Steven Harris, who counts Hollywood stars among his clients, fears the industry is fuelling mental illness due to a sharp rise in extreme cosmetic alterations.
He slammed procedures including “Russian lips,” which uses a large amount of filler to create a heart-shaped pout like a Russian doll.
Dr Harris described protruding cheekbones and abnormally arched eyebrows – portrayed by Angelina Jolie’s evil Disney villain Maleficent – as an “alienised” look that is becoming the “new normal”.
The London-based doctor blamed the trend on “distorted” beauty standards promoted on social media, a lack of regulations and greedy practitioners agreeing to perform questionable procedures in return for vast sums of cash.
(Image: Alamy Stock Photo)
He added: “The distortion of features often involves a ‘more is more’ approach and so monetary gain or greed is an important factor to consider.”
Dr Harris said the clamour for ever more extreme ops is leading to “physical and psychological harm”.
He said there is a “live and let live” attitude among surgeons, but cosmetic doctors have “a duty of care to first do no harm”.
(Image: Getty Images)
The medic posted pictures of his sister, one where her face appears normal and another showing her features digitally altered to simulate surgery that goes too far.
He wrote: “The term ‘alienisation’ refers to distortion of features outside the normal range for the individual, so that it appears alien for that particular person.
“Some people present naturally with certain features in the simulation, but the problem is creating these in those who do not and making everyone look the same.”
Dr Harris said a “perception drift” in how we should look was down to a “daily bombardment of abnormal images” and a spike in the number of Brits suffering Body Dysmorphic Disorder – a mental health condition where you spend a lot of time worrying about your appearance.