The Beauty Industry in Kazakhstan and the Attitude of Kazakh Citizens Toward Plastic Surgery

Abstract

Every consultation with a patient at an aesthetic surgery clinic begins with the practitioner's need to understand the patient's reasons for wanting a change in their appearance. In our current society, physical attractiveness is viewed as a sign of having a fulfilled personality, successful career, happy marriage, and a comfortable life. Because of this, the option to undergo cosmetic surgery is becoming an increasingly important element of modern everyday life. We conducted a study to examine the beauty industry in modern Kazakh society. The article reviews and presents the results of an online survey of 515 Almaty people regarding their attitudes about cosmetic surgery. Our survey was formatted as a semiformalized questionnaire that included open and closed questions. Because the survey used a snowball approach (i.e., a sampling technique where existing study participants recruit additional participants from among their acquaintances), the sociodemographic portrait of the target audience was formed randomly. We also conducted interviews with four experts in cosmetic surgery in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The results obtained from this research make it possible to broaden the scientific understanding of specific features of the beauty industry and the interaction of potential consumers with experts in this sphere. Our study further illustrates human behavior in a sociocultural environment that allows researchers to analyze the various facets that influence an individual's self-perception, behavior, and decision-making in everyday life.