For many young people today, the answer is: imperfections. We criticize ourselves to the smallest detail and strive more and more daily for the ideal appearance – not least because we are constantly confronted with it on social media. Perfection is coming ever closer: you can now compare yourself with filtered images from all over the world and special apps make it possible to perfect yourself down to the last detail. The result? Our “digital self” and our “real self” are becoming less and less alike. We become increasingly ashamed of what we really look like and lose ourselves in the pursuit of a beauty ideal that is unnatural and, for many, unattainable. And that does not make us happy.
As a cosmetic doctor I was allowed to talk about this at VPRO Tegenlicht. In the search for beauty many women and men come to me. Never before have there been so many opportunities to change our appearance with the help of botox and fillers. We want those full lips and those full buttocks, even if it means they are fake. We go further and further, where when is it too much? I have found that proper explanation and guidance are essential here. I will never tell someone what she or he should or should not do, but what I can tell is what a certain treatment will do and why. With the right information I help people to consciously take a step back and choose for less. After all, small adjustments can make a big difference.
The search for perfection is not new. Since time immemorial, “beautiful people” have had an advantage, because beauty is often associated with other qualities: someone who is handsome is bound to have many friends, a good job and a successful life. We strive for that ideal of beauty because we hope that our whole life will then improve. This not only makes us very critical of ourselves, but also makes us look more and more like each other. Full lips, young looks and round shapes: everyone wants them, and for more and more people this is becoming attainable. This raises questions about the ideal of beauty – now, but especially in the future. Will you soon be the exception if you don’t have lip fillers? Will the normal become abnormal?
Dr. Decates is regularly invited to talk shows and documentaries due to his extensive curriculum on cosmetic treatments.
At the Erasmus MC in Rotterdam, Dr. Decates solves complications. The method, which was developed by the team itself, allows complications to be resolved locally.
Dr. Decates is a physician as well as a scientist. Together with his team, Dr. Decates has developed a DNA test that measures the risk of complications.
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