I thought this was a new twist in the globalization of commonality and uniqueness in the Cosmetic Front. It deviates from the procedures of our Practice and from that of US women.
Allergan commissioned a global survey to gather the opinions of women from around the world on the concepts of beauty, facial aesthetics, skincare routines and treatments involving injectables and dermal fillers.
The survey was conducted by Insight Engineers in March 2016. The online questionnaire was completed by 7,700 women from the following countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, The Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. An average of 400 to 500 surveys were conducted per country. Average age of the respondents was 40 years (range, 18-65 years).
When asked about their motivations to look good, 74% of women said they primarily wish to look good for themselves, though some mentioned their partners (37%) and friends (15%).
When asked what elements contribute most to a woman’s outer beauty, body shape and figure were as equally important as complexion and skin quality (56%). Other aesthetic factors included eyes (48%), face shape (35%), facial symmetry (32%) and hair (27%). Only 17% of respondents answered bone structure, skin tone and lips or mouth shape.
A majority of women answered that they have a regular skincare routine, with most positive responses from Thailand (96%), China (89%) and Spain (88%). The global average spent a month on skincare was 35. Chinese women spend the most (80), followed by South Korea (60) and Thailand (45), with the least being spent in Canada (19) and The Netherlands (17). When asked what phrases come to mind when thinking about a beautiful woman, skin quality was rated higher (23%) than terms like ‘attractive’ or ‘pretty.’
More of the respondents said that their motivation for considering treatment was to improve their aesthetic appearance (63%), than to address the signs of aging (50%). The most common concerns were bags under eyes (66%), fullness under chin (52%), loss of fullness in cheeks (52%) and volume in lips (43%).
Sixty-five percent of the respondents agreed that facial fillers have become more socially acceptable than they were 5 years ago and 57% felt that injectable treatments could look natural. The highest acceptance rates were in Brazil (76%), Mexico (73%) and Turkey (72%), while the lowest rates were in the United Kingdom (44%), Germany (41%) and Japan (31%).
“Our research has shown a diverse range of opinions and attitudes around beauty and the role of facial aesthetics in helping women achieve their goals,” the consulting surgeons Mauricio de Maio, MD, and Jonquille Chantrey, MD, wrote. “Our hope is that sharing this information with the wider global community, other women will identify with the insights and consider how to make the best of their own natural beauty.”
US women want blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) and rhinoplasty (nose shaping) first and second among surgical procedures and Botox, Fillers, Hair Removal and facial skin rejuvenation as non-surgical procedures (ASPS 2015). In our Practice (Dean P. Kane, MD, FACS) during 2016, facelift, eyelid lift (surgical) and now Sculptra, the Silhouette InstaLift and ThermiTIGHT (minimally invasive) options run highest among women. Botox, facial fillers (cheeks, folds and lips), ZO Skin Health Rejuvenation and CoolSculpting of the double chin are the females non-surgical top sellers. Dr. Kane says that the Cosmetic options available today change yearly due to the art and talent of the physician and the science and technology accumulating so rapidly every year. He is instrumental in providing the best value of working options with the least risk of injury for his patients.
