'Magic cosmetic fillers': Appearance-enhancement effects on self-face recognition.

People naturally exhibit a self-serving bias which can be observed in their tendency to judge their own physical attractiveness more favourably than that of others. Despite this positive self-perception, minimally invasive cosmetic injectable procedures for facial rejuvenation and enhancement are becoming increasingly common. It remains unclear, however, whether recognizing an altered version of one's own face, enhanced cosmetically, correlates with a positive view of cosmetic surgery and excessive preoccupations about physical characteristics perceived as defects (body dysmorphic concerns). In this study, 30 healthy female participants, aged 18-24 years (Mage = 21.1 years, SD = 1.6), engaged in a face recognition task during which their faces were digitally morphed with that of gender-matched unfamiliar women who had undergone cosmetic enhancements, specifically lip and cheek fillers. The duration of exposure to these modified faces varied with short (500 msec) and long (2000 msec) viewing periods. Participants were asked to identify whether the digital morphs represented themselves or the other woman. Self-reports regarding acceptance of cosmetic surgery and dysmorphic concerns were collected. Participants PSE indicated a tendency towards self-bias under short presentation times, shifting towards the other as presentation times lengthened. Interestingly, this effect was associated with greater acceptance of cosmetic surgery and higher body dysmorphic concerns. This study underscores the importance of understanding how perceptions of others' physical appearances can influence self-recognition and attitudes towards cosmetic surgery, which may have both positive and potentially harmful implications.

The influence of social media on public attitudes and behaviors towards cosmetic dermatologic procedures and skin care practices: A study in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Social media has fostered a landscape where trends, ideals, and beauty standards have significantly proliferated. Images of flawless skin, sculpted features, and curated aesthetics inundate user feeds, potentially shaping their self-perceptions and aspirations. The rise of influencers, dermatologist social media engagement, and beauty campaigns sharing skincare routines and product recommendations wield substantial influence over individual appearance-related decisions. AIMS: The main aim of this study is to determine the pattern of behavior in using social media to seek dermatological procedures and skin care routine. METHODS: We conducted a nationwide, online cross-sectional study targeting the general Saudi population. Our survey aimed to understand participant social media behaviors and gather insights into skincare products, cosmetic procedures, and makeup habits. RESULTS: Gender-related differences emerged in seeking skincare advice. Females preferred dermatologists on social media (p < 0.001) and beauty influencers (p < 0.001), whereas men leaned towards pharmacists (p < 0.001). Women displayed stronger engagement with dermatologist social media reputation regarding non-cosmetic concerns (p < 0.001), education (p < 0.001), and social media impact on cosmetic decisions (p = 0.001). They frequently sought dermatologists on social media before appointments (p = 0.001), whereas men emphasized dermatologists' fame (p = 0.024). Common cosmetic barriers included high costs (62.5%), complications (40.3%), and trust issues (40.2%). Women underwent various cosmetic procedures (p < 0.05), influenced by social media in their decisions and skincare routines. CONCLUSIONS: Our study reveals significant gender-based disparities in seeking skincare advice. Women rely on social media, clinics, friends, and beauty influencers, whereas men prefer pharmacists. Additionally, women depend on dermatologists' social media reputation and conduct thorough pre-appointment research. Their heightened social media engagement links to skincare practices and influences cosmetic procedure considerations based on age and usage frequency.

LetibotulinumtoxinA Attenuates the Psychological Burden of Glabellar Lines and Is Associated With High Subject Satisfaction in Phase 3 Clinical Trials.

BACKGROUND: Hyperfunctional glabellar frown lines can transmit facial miscues that adversely affect emotional communication, increase perceptions of age, and diminish self-esteem. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of letibotulinumtoxinA in mitigating the negative psychological impact associated with moderate to severe glabellar lines and to assess subject satisfaction with treatment outcome in the BLESS phase 3 clinical trials. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Baseline and posttreatment assessments were made using validated subject-administered instruments: Modified Skindex-16 Glabellar Line Quality of Life (GL-QoL) Scale, Facial Assessment and Cosmetic Evaluation Questionnaire (FACE-Q) Appraisal of Lines Between Eyebrows Scale, FACE-Q Age Appraisal Visual Analog Scale, and FACE-Q Satisfaction with Outcome Scale. An integrated analysis using pooled BLESS data was conducted on these secondary end points. RESULTS: Among enrolled and treated subjects ( N = 1,272), 85.5% had moderate to severe psychological impact at baseline. LetibotulinumtoxinA subjects experienced significant improvements compared with placebo on all measures. Mean improvement to Week 4 for the Modified Skindex-16 GL-QoL Scale overall score was -33.84 for letibotulinumtoxinA subjects compared with -1.37 for placebo subjects ( p < .001). Attenuation of psychological burden was highly correlated with improvement in glabellar line severity ( p < .0001). CONCLUSION: LetibotulinumtoxinA significantly improved the psychosocial burden associated with glabellar lines across all trials. Treated subjects experienced improved quality of life, younger perceived age, and satisfaction with treatment outcome.

Sociocultural pressures and engagement with cosmetic products and procedures in adult women.

Previous studies have shown that cosmetic procedures and products that perpetuate Western hegemonic beauty standards among women have become increasingly popular, and pressures from sociocultural agents to utilize them are significant. However, little work has documented the relationship between perceived sociocultural pressures and use of cosmetic procedures and products among a larger age range of adult women. A community sample of 308 women aged 18-66, mean (SD) age of 35.7 (9.7), reported on the cosmetic procedures they had considered or used, as well as perceived pressures from the media, peers, romantic partners, and health and beauty professionals. Findings revealed that, among those investigated, the most frequently utilized products and procedures were supplements and hair removal. However, a significant minority reported considering more invasive procedures, including cosmetic surgery. Media was the predominant source of pressure, while partners were the least frequently endorsed. While pressure from professionals and peers had small-to-moderate associations with utilization of cosmetic products and procedures, pressure from partners had the largest association with their use. This work frames important future directions for examining the impact of sociocultural pressures on women's willingness to utilize cosmetic products and procedures that are sometimes underregulated and risky for physical and mental health.

The SKIN-Q: An Innovative Patient-Reported Outcome Measure for Evaluating Minimally Invasive Skin Treatments for the Face and Body.

Background: As the aesthetics field continues to innovate, it is important that outcomes are carefully evaluated. Objectives: To develop item libraries to measure how skin looks and feels from the patient perspective, that is, SKIN-Q. Methods: Concept elicitation interviews were conducted and data were used to draft the SKIN-Q, which was refined with patient and expert feedback. An online sample (i.e., Prolific) provided field-test data. Results: We conducted 26 qualitative interviews (88% women; 65% ≥ 40 years of age). A draft of the SKIN-Q item libraries were formed and revised with input from 12 experts, 11 patients, and 174 online participants who provided 180 survey responses. The psychometric sample of 657 participants (82% women; 36% aged ≥40 years) provided 713 completed surveys (facial, n = 595; body, n = 118). After removing 14 items, the psychometric analysis provided evidence of reliability (≥0.85) and validity for a 20-item set that measures how skin feels and a 46-item set that measures how skin looks. Short-form scales were tested to provide examples for how to utilize the item sets. Conclusion: The SKIN-Q represents an innovative way to measure satisfaction with skin (face and body) in the context of minimally invasive treatments.