Sociopsychological Issues and Research on Attractiveness

Abstract

The success of a plastic surgeon depends on his or her understanding of the psychological and social aspects of physical attractiveness. Studies demonstrate that physical attractiveness has a dramatic effect on the life of an individual. Many parameters of physical attractiveness apply to men and women; within the past 20 years transcultural studies and observations indicate that there seems to be a development towards a global consent in the perception of physical attractiveness. Yet there is a whole variety of personality disorders, psychiatric diseases and neurotic abnormalities, which might be a contraindication for aesthetic surgery. It is essential that a plastic surgeon knows how to evaluate the state of mental health in a patient.