The Impact of Cosmetic Surgery on Married Women’s Marital Satisfaction and Self-Concept

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to identify the impact of cosmetic surgery on married women’s marital satisfaction and self-concept in Tehran. METHODS: This study was causal-comparative research. The study population consisted of all women having or applying for cosmetic surgery in Tehran over the second half of 2015. Convenient random sampling was used to select the participants. Enriching and Nurturing Relationship Issues Communication and Happiness (ENRICH) marital satisfaction questionnaire and Rogers’ Self-concept Inventory were used to collect data. RESULTS: The study sample included 44 individuals having facial cosmetic procedures, 51 individuals applying for cosmetic surgery and 55 non-applicants (ordinary people). There were significant differences in terms of marital satisfaction and its components between the cosmetic surgery applicants and surgery group and control group. The cosmetic surgery applicants revealed higher levels of satisfaction in comparison with the surgery and control groups regarding the components’ personality, conflict and leisure. Considering the component marital relationship, the applicant group had higher satisfaction than control group. With regard to the components financial management and relatives and friends, the applicant group had higher satisfaction, in comparison to the control group. The control group had better self-concept than the surgery and applicant groups. CONCLUSION: Expectation for postoperative positive outcome is an important factor affecting high level of marital satisfaction in surgery applicants. Furthermore, the component self-concept is also a significant predictor of having or applying for cosmetic surgery.