Fear of Rejection Linked To Cosmetic Surgery

Researchers at the University of Buffalo have discovered that those of us who are more sensitive to rejection based on our looks have a greater likelihood of seeking out cosmetic surgery.

The study begins with an overview of some pretty astounding figures from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. In it states that since 1997 there has been an increase of 457% in the amount of cosmetic procedures taking place, with a massive 11.7 million undertaken in 2007 alone. Of those 10.6 million were on women. Keen to find out why people do these, several studies have been undertaken over the years of which this is the latest.

In the study the researchers asked 133 American college students to write an essay on a past comment they had received about their appearance, be it negative or positive. Those who had high "appearance-based rejection sensitivity" expressed a greater desire for cosmetic surgery when recalling a negative comment then those who had low sensitivity. This was even compared against other key psychological variables such as overall self-esteem and self-perceived attractiveness.

Interestingly when recalling positive comments from others, the subjects generally referred to their appearance as a whole. However negative comments concentrated predominantly on body weight, shape and size.