How do YOU see yourself?

A study of how women perceive themselves when they look in the mirror has revealed interesting  changes in perceptions of facial features as women age. The full findings are published in “Mirror on the Wall: A Study of Women’s Perception of Facial Features as They Age,” appearing in the May issue of Aesthetic Surgery Journal.

With Facial aesthetic treatments among the most popular cosmetic procedures around the world, researches asked hte question, "Why do so many women want to change what they see in the mirror?"

In addition, what do they most like or dislike about their faces? 

A group of Turkish researchers found that: 

1. Among women in their 20s, the nose and skin were what women focused on most and most desired to change, 

2. For women in their 30s and 40s the skin and the area around the eyes (periorbital region) were the main areas of concern. 

3. For women in their 50s, the periorbital region and jawline were the primary facial focal points.

“We wanted to better understand why patients desire to alter their facial features. What is it that leads them to seek so-called perfection?” said lead author Billur Sezgin, MD, of Gazi University in Ankara, Turkey. “We found that many women are not at peace with what they see in the mirror. When women look in the mirror, they primarily focus on the parts of their face they most dislike or desire to change. Not surprisingly, this dissatisfaction is the strongest motivator for seeking facial aesthetic treatments.”

As a cosmetic surgeon practicing in Fort Myers and Cape coral, Florida, I find my patients tend to fit the same interest profile.

“This study is very interesting because it clearly shows that most women tend to compare their appearance to that of younger women,” wrote Foad Nahai, MD, Editor-in-Chief of Aesthetic Surgery Journal. 

According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), women in the U.S. had nearly 8.4 million cosmetic procedures performed in 2011, a large percentage of which involved the face.