Alicia Douvall’s ever changing appearance and high profile love life has made her a tabloid fixture in Britain. The former glamour model counts Simon Cowell among her exes and has admitted to over 350 cosmetic procedures. But behind the tabloid fascination with Alicia, the 34 year old mother of two has been struggling with an addiction that has left her with massive debts and put both her life and health in jeopardy.

Alicia DouvallAlicia Douvall has had over 350 procedures

Alicia Douvall’s changing appearance has been documented in the British tabloids for the past decade. The former model, who became a tabloid name after a series of kiss and tell stories, has admitted that her quest for perfection through plastic surgery has become an addiction. Last year she appeared on ITV’s This Morning to share her story, admitting to over 350 cosmetic procedures. Her obsession with plastic surgery was so serve that she eventually entered rehab in America for addiction.

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Alicia’s surgery obsession started at 17 when she had her first procedure, a breast augmentation after which the surgeon recommended that she have a nose job. Alicia said that she believed surgery was the answer to make her feel happy after spending her childhood feeling insecure about her looks.

Alicia DouvallAlicia in 2010

Alicia has so far spent over £1.5 million on cosmetic procedures and has admitted that she worked just to pay for surgery and convinced boyfriends to help fund her obsession. Her list of procedures range from breast augmentations to nose jobs and face implants as well as having a toe shortened and her ribs shaved. Speaking to Yahoo in February Alicia said, “If you’re not happy (with the results) you have to keep going back and having more operations and then you correct one thing and something else doesn’t look right,”. She went on to describe herself as like a “crack addict” when it came to surgery adding that eventually her life “revolved around surgery.”

Alicia is also the mother of two daughters, Georgia who is 18 and two year old Papaya. In 201 Georgia and Alicia were the subjects of a BBC 3 documentary entitled 'Glamour Model Mum and Me' which focused on the differences between the then 14 year old Georgia, who was focused on her education and her mother who wanted her to join a modelling agency. Two years later when Alicia was pregnant a follow up documentary 'Glamour Model Mum, Baby and Me' aired.

Alicia DouvallAlicia first found fame as a glamour model

Alicia’s addiction led to her being diagnosed with Body Dimorphic Disorder. Since then she has highlighted the problem of excessive cosmetic surgery in the media, frequently speaking out about her problems and her struggle to overcome her addiction. Last week, in an interview with the Mirror online, Alicia revealed that she had attempted to take her own life over the Christmas holidays saying she felt it would give her children a better future. The former model said she had hit rock bottom after being evicted from her home and breaking up with her boyfriend. Now, however, Douvall, has said the experiencing of nearly ending her life has made her realise she has to be stronger. She told the Mirror, “I really do feel like I have turned a corner. Now I want nothing more than to be in my daughters’ futures. I don’t want them to make my mistakes.”

Alicia has said she is now happier and a new boyfriend is helping her put her life back together and pay off her debts. Alicia’s story shows how often the seriousness of BDD and plastic surgery addiction are often ignored by the mainstream. Hopefully Alicia’s story can help draw light on how our obsession with physical perfection can all too often lead to serious mental health issues.

Alicia DouvallAlicia Douvall has highlighted BDD in the media