BODY-IMAGE DISSATISFACTION IN MALE COSMETIC SURGERY PATIENTS

This study was the first empirical investigation of body image dissati sfaction in male cosmetic surgery patients. Thirty men completed two b ody image measures prior to their initial consultation. Results were c ompared to the norms for each of the measures and with a sample of 30 women seeking similar cosmetic procedures. Results indicated that pati ents did not demonstrate greater dissatisfaction with their overall ap pearance than men in a normative sample. However, when asked about the bodily feature they were considering for surgery, they reported signi ficantly greater levels of dissatisfaction than the normative sample. As compared to male patients, female patients reported a greater inves tment in their physical appearance. Implications of these findings ale discussed with respect to the nature of body image dissatisfaction an d the relevance of body image in the psychology of male plastic surger y patients.