Addiction to Cosmetic Procedures: A Scoping Literature Review

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 (i) compile and explore articles defining “addiction” to cosmetic procedures and (ii) identify key characteristics which in the literature are related to the concept of “addiction” to cosmetic procedures. Following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we conducted a scoping review, searching PubMed, Web of Science, and PsycINFO for relevant articles published between January 2000 and February 1, 2024. The eligibility criteria included all English-language articles with full-text availability 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. To our knowledge, this scoping review is the first to explore 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.