Survey Reveals Beauty Concerns for Different Age Groups

Posted on August 10, 2009 | by

What aspect of your lifestyle contributes the most to your appearance?  What motivates you to look good?  Is there a specific feature of your body that you think is most important?

These are the type of questions asked by researchers during the Beauty for Life survey, a collaborative effort facilitated by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.  ASAPS President Renato Saltz says the survey was intended to help physicians “understand what patients are most concerned about at different stages of their lives.”

Survey respondents were divided into age groups to determine what each generation values in physical appearance of the self, and physical appearance of ones partner.

Respondents in their 20s, 30s, and 40s indicated that a “fit, well proportioned body” was what they found most appealing in another person.  But when it came to their own physical characteristics, the same group, across the board, said they were most concerned about their own faces.  While the abdomen and hips were said to be areas of significant concern (especially for those in their 30s), facial appearance was said to be more important for most.

The reasons given for maintaining an attractive physical appearance included the following:

  1. Boosting self confidence
  2. Making new friends
  3. Attracting partners
  4. Increasing opportunities

In all age groups, cosmetic procedures ranked fairly high, alongside diet, exercise, and skin care.  Through the link below you can easily view the results (in a pdf file) of the Beauty for Life survey.

http://www.surgery.org/private/download/BFLUserSurvey.pdf