A laypeople's typology of cosmetic surgeries using cluster analysis

Abstract

Interest in cosmetic surgery has been steadily growing, with the term "cosmetic surgery" now serving as a broad label for a diverse array of aesthetic procedures. However, major differences exist between these treatments, raising questions about the validity of grouping them under a single, uniform category. Going beyond prior research that has typically treated cosmetic surgery as a rather homogeneous construct, we examine how people perceive cosmetic procedures and highlight the distinctions they may recognize between them. Using a cluster analysis methodology, we present the first systematic typology of cosmetic surgeries based on the perspective of laypeople. By considering key treatment characteristics such as invasiveness, visibility, and degree of transformation, we identify six distinct types of cosmetic procedures: (1) surgical augmentations, (2) surgical adjustments, (3) surgical reductions, (4) minimally invasive reductions, (5) minimally invasive augmentations, and (6) concealed surgical reductions. This new typology paves the path for future research to explore specific motives and expectations tied to each category, offering more fine-grained insights into the decision-making processes behind cosmetic surgery and a more nuanced understanding of public opinion about these procedures.

Keywords: Cluster analysis; Cosmetic surgery; Patient-centered; Social perception; Typology.