Cosmetic Surgery in Iran: Sociodemographic Characteristics of Cosmetic Surgery Patients in a Large Clinical Sample in Tehran

Abstract

Sociodemographic characteristics of cosmetic surgery patients are less studied in developing countries. Examining sociodemographic characteristics of cosmetic surgery patients in clinical settings can help surgeons identify their potential patients and highlights marketing opportunities for medical institutions. We conducted this study to determine the sociodemographic details of a large clinical sample from Tehran, Iran. The aim of this study was to present the demographic characteristics of Iranian patients undergoing cosmetic procedures. Tehran was selected from Iran as its most populated city and center of most medical facilities. The present study aimed to examine the sociodemographic characteristics of a large clinical sample (N = 744 patients; 900 cosmetic procedures) who underwent cosmetic surgery in Tehran, Iran. These surgeries were performed by 3 well-known plastic surgeons in Tehran. Sociodemographic details were gathered using patient’s cases and phone interview. A previously published questionnaire with modification was used. Findings suggest that most of the patients (90.7%) are women. Rhinoplasty (61.3%), facial fat injection (6.7%), blepharoplasty (6.3%), facelift (4.0%), and breast augmentation (3.8%) were the top 5 cosmetic procedures in the present sample. Approximately half of the sample (49.6%) was single, and most of married patients (80%) had children. A large number of patients (37.2%) were between 30 and 39 years old. In addition, a considerable proportion of the sample reported university education and being currently employed. This is the first study to document sociodemographic details in a large clinical sample from Iran as an understudied setting. We used insights from evolutionary psychology to explain the large sex differences in the number of cosmetic surgeries. In addition, we compared the findings with existing evidence from the United States and Saudi Arabia. Limitations and future directions are also discussed.