Cosmetic surgery can be a powerful tool for improving confidence and self-esteem. Whether it's a makeover for moms, a breast lift with augmentation, or a facelift, plastic surgery can make a huge difference in your quality of life. Generally, studies suggest that most patients were pleased with the outcome and felt better about themselves. This was especially true for women who had reduction mammoplasty.
The domains of functioning that showed improvements included “self-esteem”, “self-confidence”, distress and shyness, and “quality of life”. However, many of these studies have methodological limitations, such as small sample sizes and the possibility of biased determination. It could be argued that patients who agree to participate in this type of research and undergo interviews before and after the intervention represent a biased group, but none of the studies estimated the extent of this possible bias. In addition, clinical interviews may be subject to bias on the part of both the respondent and the interviewer, and very few studies they used “blind” evaluators.
It is of particular concern that not all studies used valid assessment tools, making it difficult to interpret the results. Finally, most of the studies evaluated very specific procedures and it is not clear how generalizable their results are to other types of aesthetic interventions. According to these reports, plastic surgery has a positive psychological effect on the patient. It was found that people who underwent plastic surgery experienced a better quality of life, compared to those who chose not to have it.
This applies to both functional and cosmetic surgery. To get the most out of the benefits of plastic surgery, you need to have realistic expectations about the outcome. If you think plastic surgery is right for you and you have the right frame of mind and realistic expectations, you should be able to enjoy the outcome, including the happiness and other positive impacts that come with it. In order for the plastic surgeon to ensure patient satisfaction, it is essential to better understand the acceptance of cosmetic surgery from a different cultural perspective and other related factors, such as social, psychological and self-esteem.
The current study also showed that body appreciation was very high among participants, which explains the low rate of seeking cosmetic surgeries and the average acceptance rate for surgery. Attendees at the plastic surgery clinic completed a questionnaire that was distributed online through social networks. For example, it's not realistic to rely on plastic surgery to solve all your problems and change your life completely (Hajiabllo et al., 2001). Previously, cosmetic surgeries were performed for people who needed some congenital injuries to be reconstructed.
Figures provided by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reveal that aesthetic procedures (surgical and non-surgical) performed by plastic surgeons, dermatologists and otolaryngologists increased by 119% between 1997 and 1999 (2). In 1999, more than 4.6 million such procedures were performed, with five main ones being chemical peels (18.3% of total), botulinum toxin A injection (10.8%), laser hair removal (10.5%) and collagen injection (10.3%) and sclerotherapy (9.0%). In addition, such procedures are performed by a variety of different professionals, including aesthetic doctors, dermatologists, and plastic surgeons. Knowing the reasons and motivations that make someone consider undergoing aesthetic procedures is important for plastic surgeons to obtain relevant results in terms of psychosocial satisfaction and self-esteem.
Plastic surgery remains popular even at the beginning of this new decade. People undergo it for functional and aesthetic reasons. Despite this, the question of why people would want to replace their natural features through cosmetic surgery remains on many minds. The obvious answer is the desire to look better or feel more confident about themselves.
