London - Some spend thousands going under the knife in the hope of feeling more confident about their looks.
But this may be a waste of money – as researchers claim having a facelift doesn’t necessarily boost self-esteem.
They found that even patients who looked nine years younger after surgery didn’t always see their confidence increase – and some ended up feeling worse.
The US scientists said their findings show just how complex the psychological reaction to a change in appearance can be.
Experts also claimed many patients have such high expectations of a facelift that even if the procedure goes very well, they are left feeling disappointed.
Dr Andrew Jacono, of the New York Centre for Facial Plastic and Laser Surgery, looked at 59 women and men who had facelifts with the same surgeon in 2013.
They all completed a ten-part questionnaire to measure self-esteem before and after the operation. Patients were asked whether they agreed or disagreed with statements such as “I feel I am a person with worth”.
They were given scores from 0 to 30, with a higher number representing better self-esteem.
The researchers said almost a third of patients – 30 percent – had lower self-esteem after the operation. A further fifth – 22 percent – experienced no change.
Less than half – 48 percent – felt more confident. This was despite the fact the patients thought they looked an average of 8.9 years younger after the procedure.
Dr Jacono, whose study is published in the journal JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery, said: “These findings underscore the complex nature of the human psyche... and demonstrates that patients exhibit a wide spectrum of psychological reactions.”
Around 6 000 facelifts are carried out a year in the UK, at an average cost of £5 000 (about R90 000). Around 90 percent of patients are women.
Daily Mail