Acceptance of Young Saudi Women to Undergo Cosmetic Surgery and Factors Influencing Their Decision

Abstract

Background: The cosmetic procedure is a treatment modality for improving the appearance of a person, and it may involve either surgical or nonsurgical interventions. The number of women who undergo cosmetic surgery in Saudi Arabia has increased dramatically. In fact, the reasons for the increase in the number of cosmetic procedures include the growth impact of social media and the pursuit of perfection. The study aimed to determine the level of acceptance of cosmetic surgery among young Saudi women, and the factors influencing their decisions. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among literate Saudi women during March 2023 to April 2023. A self-reported questionnaire was used, which investigated the demographics, acceptance, and information about cosmetic surgery and social media. Results: A total of 1685 female participants were included in this study: 62.6% were students, 73.6% were single, and 65.8% were aged 18–23 years. The levels of acceptance were high among 38.9% of the participants, and the level of acceptance was significantly affected by age (P = 0.0001), social status (P = 0.0001), work (P = 0.0001), education (P = 0.001), and income (P = 0.001). Up to 86.1% of the participants had not undergone cosmetic surgery, and the reasons for undergoing surgery commonly included dissatisfaction with appearance and social media. Conclusions: The acceptance of cosmetic surgery in this study was low, and it was affected by several demographics of the participants. For instance, social media played a crucial role in driving women to undergo such procedures.