18 Apr New facelift study: positive effect of facelift patients
Experts are talking about this
In March, an American research team presented extraordinarily exciting research results. The article published in the journal JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery examines the influence of a facelift on the perception of the social environment. In short: What effect do facelift patients have on their counterparts? For me as a facelift surgeon, this is of course a very important question. After all, I want my patients to feel comfortable in their own skin. And this also includes the question of how the environment reacts to the surgical result. In the following I summarize some of the findings of the scientists Nellis, Ishii, Papel et al. together for you.
Examination method
In the study presented, a total of 483 people took part in an online survey in which they were shown photos of patients before or after a facelift. Important: The participants never saw the same patient before and after the procedure, but were asked to assess how they rated the patient’s age, attractiveness, success and general state of health, regardless of any visible changes.
Results: Patients appear younger, more attractive, more successful and healthier after a facelift
The results of the study on the “Association of Face-lift Surgery With Social Perception, Age, Attractiveness, Health, and Success” are surprisingly clear: on average, the participants considered patients who had previously undergone a facelift to be around four years younger than they actually were. Patients without a previous facelift, on the other hand, were estimated to be older. The participants also rated facelift patients much more positively in terms of attractiveness than those who had not yet undergone surgery: On a scale of 0 to 100, patients were given an average attractiveness rating of 49 points before the operation, whereas the average rating after the facelift was 57 points. This corresponds to an increase in attractiveness of around 20 percent. Just how strongly a more youthful appearance is also linked to success and health in the human imagination is shown by the fact that the patients in the study not only appeared significantly more attractive and younger after the facelift, but also more successful and healthier.
Significance for facelift surgery
The authors of the article summarize that patients appear younger, more attractive, more successful and healthier to onlookers after a facelift and conclude that a facelift can have a positive effect on the social interaction of patients. The results underline the experience I have gained in more than 20 years of practical experience in facial surgery. It should be added, of course, that a facelift should be performed by a surgeon who specializes in it so that the result is really satisfactory and does not look unnatural. Moreover, a facelift is no guarantee of positive social experiences. Charisma, charm and wit are certainly the most important prerequisites for good social contacts. However, as the present study shows, an experienced facial surgeon can ensure an even more positive perception in the social environment.
