Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Jan 1;51(1):67-71.
doi: 10.1097/DSS.0000000000004328. Epub 2024 Jul 29.

Minimally Invasive Injectable Cosmetic Procedures Increase Feelings of Authenticity

Michael J Martinez  1 , Michael W White  2 , Erica R Bailey  3 , Eleanor Smeallie  4 , Lauren Hoffman  4 , Janet You  4 , Anne M Chapas  4 , Nayoung Lee  1 , Sheena Iyengar  2 , Evan A Rieder  5
Affiliations

Minimally Invasive Injectable Cosmetic Procedures Increase Feelings of Authenticity

Michael J Martinez et al. Dermatol Surg. .

Abstract

Background: Minimally invasive cosmetic dermatology procedures continue to be increasingly popular; however, the extant literature has poorly documented the psychological antecedents of interest in cosmetic procedures and their psychological consequences.

Objective: To better inform dermatologists on their patients' motivations for cosmetic enhancement.

Materials and methods: In a general population survey, an online representative sample of 984 Americans reported the extent to which they feel authentic using the validated authenticity scale and whether they were interested in undergoing a cosmetic procedure. In a prospective dermatology office survey, 102 participants reported their feelings of authenticity immediately before and 2 weeks after receiving a minimally invasive injectable cosmetic procedure.

Results: In the general population survey, participants interested in cosmetic procedures felt significantly less authentic than participants who were not interested ( p = .003). In the prospective dermatology office survey, participants felt significantly more authentic 2 weeks after their minimally invasive injectable cosmetic procedure than before ( p = .018).

Conclusion: Lower feelings of authenticity are associated with interest in cosmetic procedures. Participants felt more authentic 2 weeks after receiving a minimally invasive injectable cosmetic procedure. Cosmetic procedures may present patients with an opportunity to feel more like their real, genuine selves.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Inaugural ASPS insights and trends Report: cosmetic Surgery 2022. PlasticSurgery 2022. Available from: https://www.plasticsurgery.org/documents/News/Trends/2022/trends-report-... . Accessed August 2, 2023
    1. Martinez MJ, Dixit D, White MW, Rieder EA. Motivations for seeking cosmetic enhancing procedures of the face: a systematic review. Dermatol Surg 2023;49:278–82.
    1. Kernis MH, Goldman BM. A multicomponent conceptualization of authenticity: theory and research. Adv Exp Soc Psychol 2006;38:283–357.
    1. Harter S. Authenticity. In: Snyder CR, Lopez SJ, editors. Handbook of positive psychology. Oxford University Press; 2002; pp. 382–94.
    1. Newman GE. The psychology of authenticity. Rev Gen Psychol 2019;23:8–18.

LinkOut - more resources