Plastic Surgery Can Change How Others See You

Many of us know the beneficial effects or ways that plastic surgery can affect a person’s life, but a new study shows that going for a facial procedure can completely change the way others see you. Yes, plastic surgery can rejuvenate and renew your appearance, allow you to gain back your confidence, but it goes beyond that.

This change of perception happens because of the evolutionary phenomenon known as “facial profiling”. We engage in this psychological assessment based on visual cues  everyday to determine the intent of others towards us. If someone has down turned corners beside their mouth, they will be seen as sad or upset, in other words, negative nuances will be associated with them. However if someone’s cheeks are high and full, they will be judged in a positive light because they will appear happy.

Our tendency to judge people’s characters based on their physical appearance is second nature, that’s why it’s essential to make a good impression in the first few seconds of meeting someone whether it is an employer, romantic interest or other. The unfortunate shallow truth is that people will form a decision based on your face no matter what, but luckily, now with all the advances in facial cosmetic surgery you can alter and manipulate that judgment!

Cosmetic surgery permanently changes the appearance of someone’s resting facial position, which is why it’s able to successfully alter the physical aura of the individual.  With a small brow lift here or cheek implant there, you can exude a more positive visual appearance onto yourself and others. In turn, this, makes you more appealing!

The 2015 study published in the Journal “JAMA” Facial Plastic Surgery explored this well- known visual psychology, by presenting before and after photos of cosmetic surgery patients accompanied by a rating chart. The options and votes ranged from trustworthiness, risk seeking, extroversion, aggressiveness to social skills and liveability based only on the photos. The people in the pictures had gone through a variety of facial procedures such as face lifts, eyebrow lifts, neck lifts, eyelid surgery and chin implants.

The numbers showed that women who had undergone facial procedures were rated as more attractive, appealing, higher in social skills and with improved femininity. By lessening the look of tiredness and dark circles under the eyes or adding some cheek implants an individual can gain acceptance and likeability. After all, we want to be around people who are generally happy and satisfied with their lives. On the other side of the spectrum, the negative votes either reflected an unnatural look or startling change of the original patient (Bostonheartdiagnostics). Basically, if someone appeared to have had a significant amount of unflattering work done to their face they were rated as unappealing.

This means it’s extremely important for the cosmetic surgery to be as natural and subtle as possible in a patient’s face. Otherwise it can have unfavourable impacts on their personality, aura and everyday lives. Patients and surgeons need to be aware of these dramatic alterations and how they can influence the social environment when they assess and undergo various facial procedures.