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What Women Want: Cosmetic Surgery Wishlist
Almost half of women around the world would change their looks if they could, a worrying new global survey reveals.
Two thirds of all people say that beauty is not just about physical attractiveness – yet 40% would alter their looks if they had the cash, according to the report by Synovate.
The survey asked over 7,000 people, from as far afield as Brazil, Bulgaria, Korea, Spain, South Africa and the US, to spill their beauty secrets and reveal how they defined beauty. The researchers wanted to find out where people from different cultures see themselves on the beauty scale, and whether they would change anything about their looks.
The survey found that one in five people would have plastic surgery if they had the money, although another 30% would do absolutely nothing differently if money were no object.
Overall, 35% of people worldwide attribute beauty to 'what's on the inside' and another 32% say it's all about confidence.
In India, 11% of respondents identified most closely with 'Beauty is about being complimented by other people'. By contrast, not a single Spaniard linked beauty with compliments. Indeed, the Spanish seem to think you either have it or you don't, with one third saying beauty means you are naturally attractive to others and a further 35% saying it's about confidence.
The South Africans and Bulgarians (both 43%) shared the highest scores for the altruistic view of beauty-is-on-the-inside but the Bulgarians were also the most likely to agree with the definition 'Beauty is all about good looks' (22%).
The South Africans (32%) and Indians (24%) were most likely to think they were beautiful and did not need to change a thing. But the survey also gave the option of 'I think I am beautiful but there's always room for improvement' and when added together, it seems the South Africans (65%) and Brazilians (62%) have the best 'beauty' images of all respondents.
Most likely to feel they look ordinary and want to change were the Koreans (21%) and more Americans than anyone else nominated 'I do not think I am
beautiful or attractive and want to change the way I look'.
Overall, 57% of people do not want to change the way they look (whether they believe they are beautiful or not); but that means over 40% would change their looks if they could.
But when it came to cosmetic procedures, the results were surprising. While the number of people in the States who would consider plastic surgery (if money was no issue) was quite high, it was eclipsed by the Brazilians. More than four in ten Brazilians would have plastic or cosmetic surgery if their wallets allowed, rising to nearly 60% among Brazilian women.
An overall 19% of respondents across the globe would consider this more radical beauty intervention - 12% of men and a quarter of all women said they would have cosmetic or plastic surgery if they could. In nearly every market, the number of women who would yield to the knife or needle was more than double the number of men. The only exception to this was India where very few people of either gender would make a date with their surgeon.
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In other would-if-they-could findings, 42% of all Koreans would sign up for skin whitening products (61% of Korean women), while 41% of Spanish respondents would use a tanning salon (half of all women).
South Africans and Indians were most likely to try a personal shopping service to improve clothes or style at 59% and 57% respectively. Intriguingly, men were just as likely in both nations (if not more likely) to think this service would make a difference.
The survey also found that, even if money were no object, there are still three in ten people comfortable enough with their beauty to do nothing at all. No extra products, no spa treatments, no tanning or skin whitening or surgery.
Other Interesting Findings
• The highest daily mirror time goes to the Bulgarians with 31% spending more than 10 minutes a day gazing at themselves, followed by the Americans at 26%.
• Canadians spend less time in front of the mirror than people in other parts of the globe, yet are most likely to feel inadequate courtesy of beauty advertisements.
• It's good to be beautiful in Brazil and India where 55% of people think you can get away with less work as long as you look good – but beauty doesn't buy you any extra kudos in Korea where 96% disagreed that beautiful people do not have to work as hard.
• Were money no object, nearly half of all people would have regular facials, massages or other treatments. This was as high as 77% in Brazil (91% of women) and 72% in Spain (86% of women).
Looking to update your cosmetic wish-list with a hot new procedure? You might be surprised at the surgeries that made our top five round-up of Britain’s most popular procedures. Find out more Here.