What motivates the mind to go under the knife?
“People are encouraged to undergo cosmetic surgery while also facing the condemnation for doing so.” Also known as the plastic surgery paradox, this quote was coined by researchers from the University of Queensland and the University of Melbourne (1). Every year, over 355,000 women in the U.S. undergo rhinoplasty, a type of cosmetic surgery that alters the shape of the nose (2). An estimated 24% of people in the U.S. have undergone one or more cosmetic procedures (3). As of 2024, there has been a staggering 41.3% increase in plastic surgery since 2020 (4). Where is this desire coming from? While self-confidence, beauty standards, and social media are most commonly notable for being a primary motive, many lesser-known psychological factors work behind the scenes to fuel the inclination for aesthetics.
Body image, or how you perceive your body, is one of the major components subconsciously promoting cosmetic surgery. Thomas F. Cash, a psychologist studying physical appearance, classified body image into four dimensions: perceptual, cognitive, affective, and behavioral (5). Perceptual body image represents how someone visualizes themselves in their brain, which may not align with reality; their mental body perception might not align with what they physically see in the mirror. Cognitive body image is how someone thinks and their opinions about their body. The word “cognition” in psychology is the process of the brain receiving information and understanding it through senses and thoughts (6). Affective body image, similar to cognitive, is the feeling someone associates with their body. Instead of thoughts, this dimension focuses more on satisfaction or dissatisfaction with someone’s body (6). Finally, behavioral body image reflects the behavior someone will engage with depending on the perceptual, cognitive, and affective views produced by the other dimensions (6). Someone dissatisfied with their body might choose to hide or change it. These factors play into deciding whether someone chooses to go under the knife.
There is also an attitudinal component in body image that is similar to the four dimensions: body valence and value (5). This theory was developed by David Casasanto, a psychology professor at Cornell University, with the ‘body-specificity hypothesis” (7). Body valence is the pleasant or unpleasant sensation associated with the physical figure. It measures a person’s self-esteem. Similarly, body value is the actual satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the body. One example of these dimensions actively having an extreme effect on a person would be body dysmorphic disorder (BDD or body dysmorphia). In this chronic psychological health condition, an individual will obsess over perceived bodily flaws (6). These imperfections could even be imaginary. Even though patients with BDD are not recommended to get it, cosmetic surgery is often resorted to by patients with BDD to achieve body satisfaction, with up to 40% of people diagnosed with body dysmorphia receiving it (8).
The relationship between the mind and body plays an important role in shaping people’s decisions on cosmetic surgery. Psychological factors such as the four body dimensions, body valence, and body value show the complexity of body image, and the significance it has in cosmetic surgery further proves the power of the mind.
Bibliography:
- Alleva, Jessica. (2022, January 24). The Cosmetic Surgery Paradox. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mind-your-body/202201/the-cosmetic-surgery-paradox
- Cleveland Clinic. (2022, March 11) Rhinoplasty (Nose Job). Retrieved from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/11011-rhinoplasty
- Yang, Jenny. (2024, February 20). Share of Adults Who Had Cosmetic Procedure in the United States in 2023, by Number of Procedures. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1452043/share-of-adults-who-had-a-cosmetic-procedure-us/
- ISAPS. (2023, September 1) Global Survey 2022. Retrieved from https://www.isaps.org/discover/about-isaps/global-statistics/global-survey-2022-full-report-and-press-releases/#:~:text=The%20report%20shows%20a%2011.2,of%2029%25%20compared%20to%202021.
- Sarwer, David. Wadden, Thomas. Pertschuk, Michael. Whitaker, Linton. (1998, June 15) The Psychology of Cosmetic Surgery: A Review and Reconceptualization. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272735897000470
- Sansone, Randy. Sansone, Lori. (2007, December 4). Cosmetic Surgery and Psychological Issues. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2861519/#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20Diagnostic%20and,distress%20and/or%20functional%20impairment.
- Casasanto, David. (2011, December 5). Different Bodies, Different Minds: The Body Specificity of Language and Thought. Retrieved from https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2173830
- Kelly, Megan. Didie, Elizabeth. Hart, Ashley. (n.d.) Cosmetic Treatments and Body Dysmorphic Disorder. Retrieved from https://bdd.iocdf.org/expert-opinions/cosmetic-treatments-and-bdd/#:~:text=Types%20of%20Cosmetic%20Treatments&text=Cosmetic%20surgery%20is%20a%20commonly,surgical%2C%20dermatological%2C%20dental).
- Dittman, Melissa. (2005, September). Plastic Surgery: Beauty or Beast? Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/monitor/sep05/surgery
- Ferneini, Elie. (n.d.) Journey of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Retrieved from https://www.joms.org/action/showCitFormats?doi=10.1016%2Fj.joms.2021.06.017&pii=S0278-2391%2821%2900554-1