SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – European women are more interested in aesthetic procedures to improve their stomach or abdomen than their face, according to a large survey.
A majority of the women surveyed indicated they were most satisfied with how they looked about 10 years ago, when most were in their late 20s. Three-quarters of the women said they didn’t mind looking their age – they just didn’t want to look older. Eighty percent believed beauty is under an individual’s control and can be enhanced or shaped.
The Face Value Beauty Survey included 2,939 women from Italy, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, and Russia with an interest in minimally invasive aesthetic procedures. The survey was conducted online by Harris Interactive and released by Merz, its sponsor, at the World Congress of Dermatology.
Only one-quarter of women surveyed equated beauty with youth. Instead, the top five attributes cited as making women beautiful were healthy skin, an overall well-groomed appearance, beautiful hair, a charming personality, and confidence, according to Steven Basta, who presented the findings.
Fifty-six percent of European women indicated they would like to change their abdomen or stomach. Forty-four percent reported they would like to target their overall weight, 41% their breasts, 38% their face, and 38% their buttocks.
The most popular aesthetic procedure that the surveyed women had undergone was laser hair removal, at 18%. Rounding out the top five most popular procedures were chemical peels, cellulite treatments, facial dermal fillers, and facial botulinum toxin injections, each tried by 12%-13% of respondents, said Mr. Basta, CEO of Merz.
One in five European women described their personal style as "glamorous" or "extravagant." Fifty-seven percent said beauty arises from a natural appearance; half as many women said beauty stems from a made-up or glamorous look.
Three in five facial filler and/or botulinum toxin users said they had experienced a positive life change due to their treatments.
The majority of facial injectable users reported never admitting to their significant other, close friends, or family that they had undergone such treatments, or they did so only selectively. Instead, they typically claimed their new look was the result of facials, makeup, diet, exercise, or being in love.