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in collaboration with
Amélie Boukhobza (Clinical psychologist)
Mathieu ended his life three months after botched cosmetic surgery. What is this dysmorphophobia from which the young man suffered until he could no longer stand it? Our psychologist Amélie Boukhobza explains it to us.
He wanted a fuller, more virile beard, to regain his confidence. But Mathieu, a 24-year-old student who went to Türkiye to have hair bulbs implanted on his face, experienced a nightmare instead. He ended up ending his life, no longer recognizing himself in the mirror.
A completely failed aesthetic transplant
It was his father who spoke this weekend in several media (including The Parisian) who drew the lines of his son’s ordeal. The young man left for Istanbul last March to carry out this beard transplant. The operation costs 1300 euros, or 3 times cheaper than in France. She promises him depth and new self-confidence.
But the result is disastrous: of the 4000 bulbs taken from the back of the skull to re-implant them on the face, 1000 are “lost” by the technician. The rest is implemented in an anarchic manner, without following any implementation. These hairs which grow back straight “like a hedgehog” his father will say, burn his skin until he can no longer sleep. In fact, the young man learns that the doctor consulted was in fact only a converted real estate agent. Back in France, no doctor wants to “repair” the error for fear of being held responsible. In May, finally, a Belgian surgeon made up for the missed transplant and put the facial hair back on his head. The face is repaired but a “hole” remains on the back of the skull.
Psychologically, the damage is done
However, Mathieu is not getting any better. Surrounded by his loved ones, he still seems preoccupied by his bad experience. His psychologist tells him that he suffers from what is called dysmorphophobia, a mental disorder that alters the way he perceives himself. Mathieu feels mutilated, and cannot recover.
“Dymorphophobia is a disorder of self-perception. This pushes some people to no longer see themselves in the mirror other than through their complexes” tells us Amélie Boukhobza, clinical psychologist and member of our committee of experts.
Faced with his suffering, Mathieu cannot find a solution to recognize himself. He committed suicide on June 9, just three months after his return trip to Türkiye.
Dysmorphophobia, a suffering much deeper than it seems
What is behind this disorder? Is displeasing yourself so dangerous? It can be. Behind this word hides a very great wound, which in Mathieu’s case proved unbearable. Especially since he was banking on this operation to reassure himself.
“This young man, in search of an ideal image of himself, found himself devastated by a failed operation, while he was hoping for a transformation that would repair his esteem of him. Cosmetic surgery, in these cases, rarely brings the hoped-for relief. It becomes a source of suffering, an additional mirror, confronting the individual with unbearable imperfections and further fueling the obsession.”
More than a complex, dysmorphophobia makes every imperfection unbearable. “It intensifies the obsession to the point of widening a gulf between the dreamed self and the real self, plunging some into deep psychological distress. Until suicide sometimes… It’s a dream of reconciliation with oneself that shatters” analyzes our expert.
A real challenge for those around you too
The fact is not to be taken lightly. However, it is difficult to put yourself in the place of the person who is suffering… Which complicates things. “It’s a very difficult disorder to support in consultation, because it’s an obsession.” The real trap for our psychologist is that this operation becomes one more mirror, at least as unbearable as the gaze of those close to us (friends or family), who may well repeat that “everything is fine” or that “nothing is visible.”
“This support, in the case of dysmorphophobia, is often ineffective, because the person is alone facing this distorted vision of themselves. Whatever anyone says!”
Faced with a person who can no longer cope physically, it is therefore essential not to minimize the facts or brush them off as a simple matter of appearance. Serious support from a professional is strongly recommended.
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