“Doctor, I want to change my face”: when body dysmorphia knocks on the door of plastic surgery Dr. Yily De Los Santos, a plastic surgeon in the Dominican Republic, opens up about the hidden side of beauty: mental health.

 

“Doctor, I hate my nose. I don’t take pictures, I avoid mirrors. I feel ugly.”

These are words Dr. Yily De Los Santos hears more often than one might think. As one of the most trusted plastic surgeons in the Dominican Republic, she understands that sometimes, the most powerful tool in her clinic is not the scalpel—but empathy.

“In plastic surgery, we’re not just reshaping bodies. We’re often listening to wounded souls,” she says.

She’s referring to Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)—a condition where people obsess over flaws that are imagined or greatly exaggerated. The danger? Many of them come seeking surgery as their only hope.

“Operating on someone with BDD without addressing their mental health is like giving painkillers to someone with a broken heart. It misses the root of the problem,” Dr. Yily explains.

At her clinic in Santo Domingo, where she treats patients from all over the world with procedures like Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL), breast augmentation, eyelid surgery, and post-weight loss reconstruction, she has implemented a personalized approach: every patient must pass an emotional evaluation before any surgery.

As she puts it:

“Not everyone who wants surgery is ready. Our duty is not only to sculpt—but to protect.”

In a country like the Dominican Republic, a rising hub for aesthetic medical tourism, Dr. Yily says it’s time to talk about the psychological risks. “People arrive with high expectations. Some bring Instagram photos saying, ‘I want to look like this.’ But behind those filters, there’s often anxiety and insecurity.”

To Dr. Yily De Los Santos, plastic surgery should not feed emotional gaps—it should empower responsibly. That’s why she educates her patients, collaborates with mental health professionals, and advocates for a more ethical, more human version of beauty.

“Yes, I want to keep transforming bodies. But most of all, I want to help change how we define beauty: with truth, with mental health, and with compassion.”