Addiction to Cosmetic Procedures: A Scoping Literature Review.

Abstract

Over the past few decades, cosmetic procedures have become increasingly popular. Alongside this rise in popularity, however, concerns have been raised regarding cosmetic extremes and potential "addiction" to cosmetic procedures. Yet, it remains unclear and underspecified what this "addiction" entails and/or how it can be established. This scoping review aims to (1) compile and explore articles defining "addiction" to cosmetic procedures and (2) identify key characteristics which in the literature are related to the concept of "addiction" to cosmetic procedures. In accordance with the JBI methodology, we conducted a scoping review, searching PubMed, Web of Science and PsycINFO for relevant articles published between January 2000 and January 2024. The eligibility criteria included all English-language articles that described characteristics associated with "addiction" to cosmetic procedures. Ultimately, 13 studies met the inclusion criteria, highlighting the scarcity of research on this topic. The reviewed studies used a variety of terms to describe "addiction" to cosmetic procedures. In addition, the studies indicated characteristics that are related to the concept of "addiction" to cosmetic procedures, such as "excessive" use; preoccupation with cosmetic procedures; hazardous use; and psychological dependence. This review represents a critical step in exploring the concept of "addiction" to cosmetic procedures. Based on this review, it would be desirable to further conceptualize and investigate whether "addiction" to cosmetic procedures could and/or should be recognized as a behavioral addiction.Level of Evidence V This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .