Mechanisms of Psychosocial Adjustment in Patients Seeking “Face-Lift” Operation

Abstract

The clinical study and follow-up of 106 consecutive patients requesting cosmetic surgery for facial evidences of aging revealed a favorable subjective response in nearly all who underwent surgery. This favorable response included more positive attitudes toward themselves and the relief of depressive symptoms. All the patients showed striking similarities in social attitudes and motivations for surgery. Those below the age of 40 who requested surgery demonstrated greater past and present problems in personal adjustment, and such patients deserve careful preoperative psychiatric evaluation. The "face-lift" operation not only provides a definite realistic improvement in appearance but also meets the personality needs of these patients in their endeavor to re-establish previous adjustment patterns.IVloDEHN plastic surgery techniques, such as cervicomeloplasty (face-lift operation) and/or blepharoplasty (eyelid repair) offer realistic changes toward a more youthful appearance. Each year more people consult plastic surgeons for these procedures. Since a number of psychiatrists and surgeons 1 " 3 have reported that surgical arrest of this physical effect of aging is psychologically beneficial, several questions deserve further clarification. Who are the patients that are motivated to seek such proce-

The Impact of Cosmetic Plastic Surgery on Body Image and Psychological Well-Being: A Preliminary Study

“…well-being/uneasiness linked to the emotional and affective sphere (psychological well-being) is highlighted. These results are in line with the other studies, which have individually assessed some of the dimensions of psychological well-being recording a reduction in depression, anxiety and an improvement in the state of health [48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56]. Since the results are not homogenous and, in some researches [12,[57][58][59], the patients continued to feel uneasiness linked to the emotional and affective sphere in the post-operative stage, the aesthetic correction procedure lead to positive psychological benefits in most patients.…”

Psychological Screening Measures for Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Patients: A Systematic Review

“…17-35 Sarwer and colleagues have made a substantial contribution to this body of literature. [26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38] What our review has clarified is the lack of a purposely designed self-report questionnaire that covers the main symptoms identified as being important to preoperative screening.…”

Aging and cosmetic enhancement

“…The psychological aspects of cosmetic surgical procedures for the aging face such as facelifts have been explored by various researchers over the past 30 years (Webb et al 1965; Goin et al 1976, 1980; Goin and Goin 1981). …”