Motivations for Seeking Cosmetic Enhancing Procedures of the Face: A Systematic Review

Abstract

BACKGROUND Cosmetic enhancing procedures continue to grow in demand. Physicians should understand the complex factors that drive patient motivation for seeking such procedures. OBJECTIVE In contrast to a lens of psychopathology, this review reveals the driving power of everyday intrapersonal, social, and behavioral factors that motivate interest in elective facial cosmetic procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS The review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines and included studies with at least 50 adult patients seeking facial cosmetic enhancements between January 1, 2000, and July 1, 2022. RESULTS Among 1,239 identified publications, 21 studies with 9,005 participants were selected for inclusion. The review documents everyday factors as patient motivators for pursuing cosmetic enhancements of the face, with the majority of work focusing on intrapersonal factors (17 of 21 studies), such as preventing aging or negative appearance based self-appraisals. For studies reporting social factors (15 of 21 studies), the most common motivators were the patient's social network and a desire to promote social standing. Behavioral factors revealed that social media and media consumption impact patient motivation for cosmetic enhancements (5 of 21 studies). CONCLUSION In summary, this review demonstrates that patient motivations for facial cosmetic enhancements may be best understood through everyday intrapersonal, social, and behavioral factors.