The cosmetic benefits of getting a facelift are well-documented: a younger, revitalized look. But could there be unforeseen social advantages to the procedure as well?
That’s the finding of one study, which surveyed 170 people by giving them before and after photos of 30 patients who have had plastic surgery. Those that had had work done were rated as more likeable and approachable, an indication that strangers often have an innate positive response to well-done procedures.
People worried that plastic surgery is “deceptive” needn’t fear either. In fact, respondents rated the post-surgery faces as more trustworthy. None of those questioned had any knowledge of the people in the photos, or of the fact that they had work done: they simply were responding to the faces as they were presented.
Study author Dr. Michael Reilly, an assistant professor of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C., explained the goal of the study as trying to objectively evaluate what people are seeing when the see the results of plastic surgery. While his study was small, Dr. Reilly was highly encouraged by the results.
“The reactions were very, very positive,” he said. “Yes, they saw women who appeared to them to be more likeable after surgery. And there was even a trend towards perceiving them to be more trustworthy.”
This social benefit can only be boosted by the increased confidence that comes with being comfortable in your body. If you’d like to know more about the benefits that can be realized by plastic surgery, contact Maryland Plastic Surgery today for a consultation.
