Psychology of Beauty

ARISTOTLE said that "Beauty is a greater recommendation than any letter of introduction," but is it? David Hume wrote in 1741 that "Beauty is not a quality in things themselves; it merely exists in the mind that contemplates them, and each mind perceives a different beauty." More than 2,000,000 cosmetic procedures are performed annually. There are 72,000,000 baby-boomers who are approaching their 40s and associate looking good with success. What do they want to achieve with cosmetic surgery, and are their expectations realistic?

A plastic surgeon must be a keen psychologist and understand why a person decides to change some aspect of his or her appearance. There is a relationship between self-image and the desire to change one's looks. The surgeon must be aware of the patient's psychological stability, mood, expectations, motivations, and goals. A brilliant surgeon and scalpel can not revive an ailing marriage. Choosing the appropriate patient is as important as selecting the correct procedure. Physical appearance is one clue to determine whether he or she is a good candidate. Is the patient disheveled? Does he or she have a defect which is only minimal? Has the patient already had a number of plastic surgery procedures performed? In other words, is he or she a plasti-surgiholic? Is the patient a "super-perfectionist" or a "shopper"?

The manner in which the patient conducts himself or herself during the initial consultation is important. Is he or she rude, overly solicitous, critical of other surgeons, depressed, arrogant, or vague? Any one or a combination of these elements can signal unrealistic expectations. Such a person never can be satisfied. During the evaluation, it should be determined whether the patient has suffered a loss. Has he or she lost a job or a loved one? Changes in one's life can produce tensions. Some individuals are prompted to seek plastic surgery as a means to cope with added stress. Moreover, if the patient is undergoing psychological treatment, he or she may not be in a position to make a fully informed decision about plastic surgery. There are limits to what can be accomplished by a plastic surgical procedure. Important variables such as a person's state of health, skin texture, age, and personality type will determine how close the operation will come to his or her expectations. Improvements may be expected, not perfection.

One's emotional and psychological well-being should be a concern even after the procedure. The usual treatment process consists of a consultation, operation, and discharge, with a follow-up visit in a week. It is a long process, and the recuperative period often is forgotten, which is ludicrous considering the amount of money people spend on the surgery. In Europe, some surgeons use health spas as a place for their patients to recuperate. With elective surgery, the patient is not really sick, so why prolong a stay in a hospital environment?

A plain-Jane who is convinced that a facelift automatically will bestow ravishing good looks needs to be told a plastic surgeon can not create a Venus, if the basic elements for beauty are not already there. The doctor is working with human skin, not clay. Such a patient must be advised that a facelift will not make her stunning, but can render her free of wrinkles and impart a rested appearance. Each and every person wishes to achieve health and longevity in life. One desire to remain attractive and youthful throughout life, but unluckily one does not know the way to achieve such a state permanently. As a result, people run after all possible methods to achieve everlasting beauty. Either they make use of herbal medicines or they may go to certain Swamis, and obtain some ash and their blessings. Throughout their lives they just keep worrying about their health. In order to achieve permanent health and longevity a person should always remain fresh and cheerful and keep the mind free of all tensions and worries, whatever the circumstances may be. As long as one is physically and mentally active, one will retain one's youth but once a person becomes idle and indolent old age sets in.

A government employee remains active up-to the age of 58 years, but as soon as he retires, he starts exhibiting signs of old age; his face gets wrinkled and becomes lusterless. This results because he starts believing that he has retired and has nothing to do. Dr. William Martin at the age of 30 years went to Germany to study Psychology and soon after became a lecturer in a University. At the age of 65 she retired from her job. Later she opened a hotel in San Francisco. At 70 she learnt driving and at 81 she traveled through the length and breadth of Mexico, all alone. Next year she started farming on a 64 acre land and when 102 she breathed her last, and even then she looked much younger and healthy! Mrs. Moses learned painting at the age of 76 and presented paintings in 35 exhibitions. Frank Lloyd, constructed buildings at the age of 80 with same agility as at the age of 35! Dr. Lilian Gailbreth is a mother of 12 children and she created a furore by writing a novel at the age of 81 years! India's famous industrialist J.R.D.Tata flew a plane from Pakistan to India on his own at the age of 72 and proved that he was still as young as before. During World War II, weakened England was guided by Churchill at the age of 75 years, and even at the age he used to work for 20 hours at a stretch. In this period he had to suffer a lot of criticism but even then he remained firm and got his name inscribed in golden letters in world history. Throughout the world there have been only three personalities who reached the top even after their complete downfall. They were ---Winston Churchill (Prime Minister of England), President Digal of France and India's Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Through their life they remained active and retained their youth. In fact old age does not come on its own; rather we force it into our lives through our outlook.

There are yet others whose essence would be lost if they had undergone plastic surgery. Imagine if Barbra Streisand chose to have a rhinoplasty. Her voice would remain intact, but a surgically transformed proboscis would change forever her essence in the minds of others. Her nose is linked inextricably with her voice. It is part of her identity. Envision Yul Brynner with a hair transplant. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said that "One man's identity is another's ugliness”.

According to a survey conducted by the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, an increasing number of men are having aesthetic plastic surgery. They accounted for 25% of the more than 70,000 nose jobs, 14% of 73,000 eyelid tucks, and 10% of 54,500 facelifts. Men no longer feel inhibited to consult with a doctor about aesthetic surgery, Males constitute about 20% of cosmetic surgery patients. An increased interest in aesthetic plastic surgery is connected with the social acceptance of self-improvement. Everyone feels that cosmetic surgery no longer requires apologies.

Men are pursuing facelifts and eyelifts in much the same fashion as they did hairstyling years ago. Even skin care, once viewed with disdain, is now of concern to them. In addition to improving their physical appearance, plastic surgery can give men the winning edge. Many people have read or heard of the Wall Street Journal study that showed promotions went to those who were younger looking and more attractive. It also is well-known that, when two people of equal standing are considered for a position, the more attractive one is chosen.

Once thought of as mainly for the rich and famous, cosmetic surgery has become an important part of our youth and fitness oriented society. Plastic surgery offers another means to improve an individual's self-image if the patient has realistic expectations. While operations such as a facelift or tummy tuck may not be performed for physical health or safety, they often benefit patients emotionally and psychologically. At the same time, individuals must realize that plastic surgery is not a panacea. It is not the answer to life's problems. Cosmetic surgery can improve a person's appearance and self-confidence, but only if the patient's state of mind is positive before the operation.

Scientists have also found that the body's proportions play an important role in perceptions of beauty as well. In general, men have a preference for women with low waist-to-hip ratios (WHRs), that is, more adipose tissue is deposited on the hips and buttocks than on the waist. Research shows that women with high WHRs (whose bodies are more tube-shaped) are more likely to suffer from health maladies, including infertility and diabetes. However, as is often the case, there are exceptions to the rule. Psychologists at Newcastle University in England have shown that an indigenous people located in southeast Peru, who have had little contact with the Western world, actually have a preference for high WHRs. These psychologists assert that a general preference for low WHRs is a byproduct of Western culture.

Psychological research suggests that people generally choose mates with a similar level of attractiveness. The evolutionary theory is that by mating with someone who has similar genes, one's own genes are conserved. Moreover, a person's demeanor and personality also influences how others perceive his or her beauty. In one study, 70% of college students deemed an instructor physically attractive when he acted in a friendly manner, while only 30% found him attractive when he was cold and distant. Indeed, when surveyed for attributes in selecting a mate, both males and females felt kindness and an exciting personality were more important in a mate than good looks. Thus, to a certain degree, beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder.

In society, attractive people tend to be more intelligent , better adjusted, and more popular. This is described as the halo effect - due to the perfection associated with angels. Research shows attractive people also have more occupational success and more dating experience than their unattractive counterparts. One theory behind this halo effect is that it is accurate -- attractive people are indeed more successful. An alternative explanation for attractive people achieving more in life is that we automatically categorize others before having an opportunity to evaluate their personalities, based on cultural stereotypes which say attractive people must be intrinsically good, and ugly people must be inherently bad. But Elliot Aronson, a social psychologist at Stanford University, believes self-fulfilling prophecies - in which a person’s confident self-perception, further perpetuated by healthy feedback from others, may play a role in success as well. Aronson suggests, based on the self-fulfilling prophecy that people who feel they are attractive - though not necessarily rated as such - are just as successful as their counterparts who are judged to be good-looking.

Whatever the reason, the notion that attractiveness correlates with success still rings true. Yet beauty is not always advantageous, for beautiful people, particularly attractive women, tend to be perceived as more materialistic, snobbish, and vain.

For better or worse, the bottom line is that research shows beauty matters; it pervades society and affects how we choose loved ones. Thus, striving to appear attractive may not be such a vain endeavor after all. This isn't to say plastic surgery is necessarily the answer. Instead, lead a healthy lifestyle that will in turn make you a happier person.

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Dr. Harshit Jain is the Vice President – Program Development of Altruista Health, a health services and technology company based in Reston, Virginia.
Dr. Harshit Jain is also the Founder and President of Foundation for Blood Ailments, a non government organization providing support to patients of blood ailments, and preventing their spread.
Harshit has authored a book "Text Book of Liposuction: Principles and Practice”. He is also the reviewer of Southern Medical Journal, a medical publication. He has also published 4 scientific papers in national and international Journals of Medicine.