Self-Image of Women after Plastic Surgery - A Clinical Study

Abstract

The study addressed the behavior of cosmetic surgery as an increasingly common behavior among women who are preoccupied with their bodies and perceive their self-image through them. Physical flaws and imperfections are seen as flaws in the self, making cosmetic surgery a means of repair and change. The study hypothesized that changes occur in a woman's self-image after cosmetic surgery, specifically in her personal, social, and ideal self-image. To test these hypotheses, a sample was selected for study, consisting of two women aged 33 and 39, who had undergone cosmetic surgery one year and four months and six months ago, respectively. They were chosen from women who had undergone cosmetic surgery, as part of the study population, using a purposive sampling method based on set criteria and required characteristics, with assistance from doctors.
The sample was specific in terms of number and characteristics, so the study was conducted in-depth using two tools: a semi-structured interview and the Genèse des Perceptions de Soi (Genesis of Self-Perceptions) test by René L'Écuyer, within the framework of the clinical method.
Based on the information gathered and analyzed, the study concluded that after undergoing cosmetic surgery, a woman experiences a series of changes in her self-image. These changes occur in her personal, social, and ideal self-image, with differences in the nature and course of these changes between the two cases.