New survey suggests patients no longer 'embarrassed' by cosmetic surgery

Feb. 24, 2006
American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS)

In a new study commissioned by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) and released today, men and women of all ages report a greater willingness to tell non-family members that they've had cosmetic surgery.

According to the February 2006 report of 1000 Americans 18 years of age and older, 79% of men and 82% of women would not be embarrassed if anyone other than immediate family and close friends knew about any plastic surgery they'd had done. While 29% of men and women aged 18 to 24 claimed they would be self-conscious about revealing they'd had work done, 89% of those in the 55 to 64 range claimed that they would have no misgivings whatsoever, up 7% from a 2005 survey.

Other key findings of the study include:

• The majority of men and women (74%) have not wavered on their attitude toward cosmetic surgery in the past five years, although 16% said they were "more favorable" as opposed to 9% that said they were "less favorable."
• Men and women are nearly equal in their approval of cosmetic surgery, with men showing a slightly lower (52%) approval rating than women (55%).
• Out of all age groups, men and women between the ages of 18 and 24 are the most likely to have grown "more favorable" of plastic surgery in the last 5 years.
• Marital status has little effect as to whether a man or a woman would consider having cosmetic surgery. At 25%, those who are married are only slightly less likely to have work done than the un-wed (28%).
• Men and women age 55 to 64, at 61%, are the most likely to approve of cosmetic surgery, while those age 65 and over, at only 42%, are the least likely to show approval.

The study was commissioned by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) and conducted by the independent research firm Synovate.