People do not decide whether to have cosmetic surgery or not based on their level of satisfaction with their body, according to experts.
A recent study published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Journal found that nearly one-half of women and one-quarter of men surveyed said they would consider cosmetic surgery; 23 percent of women and 17 percent of men said they might think about it. The sample size was 52,000.
The level of satisfaction with one’s body did not make a difference in a person’s interest in cosmetic surgery, according to the study’s findings.
Liposuction was the one exception to the finding. Men and women who said they were thinking about having liposuction had lower levels of body satisfaction than others in the study.
According to the study’s co-author, David Frederick, a PhD candidate at the University of California at Los Angeles, people feel more pressure to be thin than to have a perfect nose or great breasts. This might explain why those who said they were not satisfied with their weight also said they were interested in liposuction.
The study seems to indicate that most people considering cosmetic surgery have a normal body image, says Dr. Richard D'Amico, president-elect of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
Surgeons are glad to know that people are motivated to have cosmetic surgery in order to "look as good as they feel," instead of using procedures to address issues of self-esteem.