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Clinical psychologist and body image professor Caryl James is sounding the alarm on the psychological factors driving the surge in cosmetic surgeries.

According to her, while the influence of social media cannot be ignored, entertainers and influencers bear significant responsibility for the growing body modification trend.

"For individuals who are trying to find their place, they will look to other individuals such as entertainers as an outlet to inspire," James told THE STAR.

"Entertainers then become role models," she said, adding that entertainers and social media influencers should use their platforms to spread more positive messages about self-worth and self-acceptance.

"There are a lot of youngsters who look up to them and want to accomplish similar strides like the entertainers," James reasoned.

Although the obsession with appearance is not new, James said that the digital age has amplified its effects. She said body dissatisfaction has been a long-standing issue.

"People are engaging with social media more and more, and there is a lot of information out there on how to be liked, how to get self-esteem and find self-worth," she said.

"We are in a more fast-paced environment where persons go to their devices when they're not feeling great. But when they're constantly dependent on their devices to regulate their emotions, deal with our inner feelings and address our worth, then it becomes problematic," she noted.

James comments come amid renewed discussions surrounding self-love, body image, and the impact of influencers regularly showing off their newly sculpted bodies. James emphasised that there is nothing inherently wrong with wanting to enhance one's appearance. She said that the issue arises when someone's sense of self-worth hinges on these physical changes.

"There's nothing wrong with enhancing self, but once your self-worth is tied to that change to make myself feel better, then we have a problem. Because it means that there's a void that the individual is trying to fill in a way that will not address the underlining issue, because they are focused on the external image, which society is conditioning them to do, with the belief that if they continue doing that they'll feel better," James said.

She cautioned that without addressing emotional triggers, cosmetic enhancements could become a cycle -- even an addiction.

"You'll do a little nose job, and it feels good. But then the other feelings come back up again, and then you're, like, 'Oh, maybe I should do boobs, build some muscles'; and then you continue to modify, modify, modify," she said.

"Emotions come and go, suh if yuh don't address the emotions, all you're doing is modifying to escape the emotions," she said.

Her advice to persons contemplating surgery as a quick fix for deeper problems is to start with honesty.

"Acknowledge that they may have a mental health problem. See a therapist, or source books and podcasts that can speak to how to deal with mental health, because that's where it all starts," she said.