Psychological characteristics and outcomes of elective cosmetic surgery patients: The influence of cosmetic surgery history

Abstract

The early cosmetic surgery literature suggested that individuals re-presenting for aesthetic surgical procedures (referred to as "insatiable patients") display poorer psychological functioning and satisfaction with surgical outcomes than those who request one procedure. The aim of the study was to compare 284 patients with and without a history of cosmetic procedures on demographic characteristics, appearance concerns, expectations of surgery, psychosocial dysfunction, and postoperative dissatisfaction. There were few differences between the groups, suggesting that the group of patients with a history of aesthetic surgeries did not represent the population that has been described as "surgery insatiable." Post hoc analyses of subgroups of patients with a history of surgeries also revealed few differences except for lower self-esteem and postoperative satisfaction. Further research is required to fully explore the applicability of the "insatiable patient" label in the context of increasing societal acceptance of cosmetic surgery.