When you look in the mirror, what do you see? If your answer is somewhere along the lines of "ugly," "unattractive" or "hideous," then please, look again. Keep looking until the only thing you see is yourself; something that is so beautiful it can't possibly get any prettier. No matter how much makeup you apply or how many cosmetic surgeries you get, your true and natural beauty is what shines through. Unfortunately, in the world we live in, most people won't believe this statement and will go to such extreme measure to make themselves more "beautiful" that it becomes an addiction.

In such a competitive world, where celebrities with their flawless complexions and stunning body figures are constantly in the spotlight, it's hard for us to not want to strive towards looking like them. However, there is a huge difference between trying out fancier makeup techniques or possibly starting new diets and going to extremes of cosmetic surgery. We see celebrities like Heidi Montag who have plastic surgery done, and to some, she looks absolutely perfect, but the real question is, what was wrong with her looks in the first place?

This is when society starts to become heavily influenced to the point where an addiction can begin to form. Body dysmorphic disorder is when a person is excessively obsessed with perceived flaws in their appearance and is addicted to trying to make themselves "look better" but is really never happy with the outcome. The causes of this are extensive, but one that has recently become more prevalent is environmental factors, mainly the media.

Sometimes people just become addicted to buying beauty products, which in the end isn't overly harmful, but it still should be treated. The serious problem is when the addiction to beauty becomes so extreme that they become addicted to cosmetic surgeries. Not only does this completely drain the person's money, it can be extremely harmful and dangerous to their wellbeing. This is especially dangerous when the person is not only addicted to beauty, but has body dysmorphia as well, because they will never be happy with any of the operations and will continue to have cosmetic surgeries done, up to or even past the point where they look like a completely different person.

Some people do not believe that this problem actually exists, but the scary fact is that it is very real, and not only with celebrities, but everyday people as well. Cindy Jackson is a 55 year-old woman who holds the record of 52 cosmetic surgeries, which have costed over $100,000 altogether. If that is not considered an addiction, I do not know what is.

We all have insecurities about our appearance, but we should always remember that we were born this way and are beautiful for who we truly are. Never let the advertisements and magazines make you want to change your appearance because it's "the only way you can look good." Never let beauty become an addiction. Forget all the tabloids and overly photoshopped pictures of celebrities and look at yourself in the mirror. What do you see?