More quality of life thanks to cosmetic surgery?

How cosmetic surgery affects quality of life and self-perception

Cosmetic surgery can increase quality of life, satisfaction and self-esteem in the long term and is often associated with self-realisation. Most of my patients wish to feel attractive, desirable and completely comfortable in their skin, regardless of their age. Perhaps you would also like to invest in your appearance and find yourself more attractive again? I will tell you what positive effects cosmetic surgery can have on your quality of life and why your environment will perceive you differently afterwards.

Index

1. Beauty – what is it actually?
2. More quality of life thanks to cosmetic surgery 
3. How cosmetic surgery changes self-perception
4. How cosmetic surgery changes the perception of others
5. Cosmetic surgery and quality of life – realistic goals is key

Beauty – what is it really?

The fact that cosmetic surgery can improve an individual’s quality of life has to do with one fact in particular: beautiful people enjoy advantages. From birth, they receive more attention and care, which has a favourable effect on self-esteem and promotes a positive self-perception. People who are good-looking make new contacts more quickly, are perceived as more likeable by those around them and also have an easier time in professional life.

So it’s clear that we all long for beauty. But how exactly can it be defined? This question was already on Leonardo da Vinci’s mind at the time. Today, entire branches of science are devoted to researching ideals of beauty and the cultural influence on what is considered beautiful. 

For this changes over time. While social ideas unquestionably influence the modern concept of beauty, there are also universal characteristics of beauty. This refers to factors that all people intuitively perceive as beautiful. These are primarily harmonious proportions and the symmetry of the face. If the eyes, nose, mouth and shape of the face are in a balanced relationship to each other, we perceive this as beautiful, regardless of our culture.

More quality of life thanks to cosmetic surgery

Does cosmetic surgery lead to a better quality of life and more joie de vivre? Not only surveys of my patients point to this connection. More and more studies are coming to the conclusion that aesthetic surgery can have a positive effect on the human psyche.

Wenn wir unser äusseres Erscheinungsbild verändern, hat das Auswirkungen auf unser Innenleben. When we change our outer appearance, it has an effect on our inner life. Especially people who suffer from a beauty flaw and therefore withdraw from social life report a completely new attitude towards life after a beauty operation. They feel happier, more balanced and freer in their dealings with other people.

Psychologically, this makes perfect sense. After all, health does not only include physical integrity, but also mental well-being. People who look good feel better, are less resentful of their own bodies and are more self-confident.

How cosmetic surgery changes self-perception

Very few of my patients have unrealistic expectations of beauty surgery. Instead, it is often about a boost in self-confidence and an upgrading of personality. 

Waren Schönheits-OPs vor einigen Jahren noch ein Tabu-Thema, stehen inzwischen immer mehr Frauen While cosmetic surgery was a taboo subject a few years ago, more and more women are now willing to improve their appearance with the help of surgery. This is also the opinion of my patient Simone (55): “I think that today we have so many possibilities to enhance beauty. This can and may include cosmetic surgery.”

“I find that today we have so many ways to enhance beauty. This can and may also include cosmetic surgery.”

She has discovered her way for herself and feels more fabulous and confident in her 50s than she has in a long time. The majority of people who come to my practice in Zug hope for such an increase in quality of life from cosmetic surgery: to finally feel comfortable in their own bodies again and to find themselves beautiful.

This is also the conclusion of a long-term study by the Ruhr University in Bochum, which investigated the psychological effects of cosmetic surgery on 550 patients. On average, the participants stated that they had achieved their desired goals and were satisfied with the results. Compared to a control group that had decided against surgery despite wanting to change, they felt healthier, more attractive and developed greater self-esteem.

The majority of all respondents named positive influences such as:

• better quality of life and enjoyment of life
• Increased self-esteem
• more positive attitude to life
• Increased self-confidence
• better body image
• higher attractiveness 
• inner satisfaction
• improvement of depression

How cosmetic surgery changes the perception of others

Imagine you’ve been saving up for a cosmetic operation like a breast enlargement for a long time and after the procedure you fall in love with your reflection in the mirror all over again. This inner radiance also has an outward effect and ensures that other people see you in a new light. A cosmetic operation can increase the quality of life, open doors and serve as a springboard to a more self-determined life.

Our effect on other people is based on a subconscious mechanism. Even a tenth of a second is enough for an initial assessment. In making this intuitive judgement, we involuntarily act on signals emanating from our face and body. This is part of our genetic heritage, because originally it was a matter of distinguishing friend from foe at lightning speed in order to recognize danger in time. The brain quickly associates harmonious proportions with health, success and intelligence. When we see a beautiful person, we automatically classify him or her as more likable, trustworthy and socially competent.

The brain quickly associates harmonious proportions with health, success and intelligence. When we see a beautiful person, we automatically classify him or her as more likeable, trustworthy and socially competent.

Beauty has been proven to influence social standing. The more positive the signals our face sends out, the more positive our counterpart’s impression will be. Thus, beautifying measures can open up new opportunities for us with our fellow human beings – whether privately or professionally.

Cosmetic surgery and quality of life – realistic goals are key

In order for cosmetic surgery to have a positive effect on quality of life, a responsible approach to the expectations associated with it is crucial. As the attending physician, I play a key role in this. In a consultation, I therefore examine very carefully what my patients hope to achieve from an operation.

Do you blame all your problems on a nose that is too big? Or do you expect a beauty operation to make you a completely new person afterwards? Such exaggerated expectations cannot be fulfilled by cosmetic surgery. How satisfied you are with the result depends on realistic goals.

As a specialist in aesthetic medicine and surgery, my aim is to enhance the natural beauty of my patients. Before a cosmetic operation, I inform you transparently about what is possible and determine realistic results together with you. This creates a good basis for an aesthetic intervention to actually change your attitude to life for the better.

The extent to which cosmetic surgery improves the quality of life in the long term is something I experience every day in my practice. The most beautiful reward of my work is and remains the happy glow of my patients who, after an operation, have both feet firmly on the ground, look in the mirror with self-confidence and approach other people with enthusiasm. 

Are you interested in a cosmetic operation or do you already have a specific treatment wish? I look forward to getting to know you in a consultation and answering your questions.