The Psychology of Beauty

Everyone wants to be beautiful. A woman wants to be as beautiful as possible and a man as attractive as he can be. Why? Well, the way we look impacts how we feel about ourselves and how others perceive us—or at least how we perceive they do. In other words, it is all about self-esteem. As I teach doctors around the world, I remind them that although it seems we are in the business of making people look better (which we are) we are really in the business of self-esteem.

Self-esteem and beauty

This is also true in nature. If there is an unattractive member of a herd of any animal type, that animal is generally left out of many of the activities and it may be severe enough that he is not allowed to eat and will starve to death.

I have seen many examples in my practice of changed lives due to cosmetic treatments. The shy and embarrassed teenager with acne who comes out of the shell with the new clear skin. The bank executive who was embarrassed about his acne scars and not able to advance until the dermabrasion made his skin clear and he excelled. The older woman who no longer liked herself and thought others didn’t who blossomed after cosmetic procedures.

Psychology and cosmetic procedures

In one of my previous books, I asked a noted psychologist to write a chapter on beauty and the psychological impact and she pointed out many interesting facts. It is probably well-known that the really good looking girl in high school gets the date with the good looking football player, but there is a lot more to it than that. An attractive person is more likely to get the attention of a salesperson than an unattractive one. Good looking people tend to get seated in a restaurant sooner and at better tables. They get better deals on items for sale and get taxis sooner etc. But the most surprising fact she brought out was that better looking people get better medical care!

So, cosmetic procedures, trying to look your best is more than trying to get a pretty face. Self-esteem! And it has also been shown that one of the most important factors in how well and how long you will live is self-esteem.

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