Conducted by Bella Media in March/April this year to coincide with their 60th issue hitting stands, a recent survey* of Cosmetic Surgery & Beauty magazine readers revealed some interesting truths about cosmetic enhancements and our perception of beauty.

The survey quantified what many already believe to be true: anti-ageing is a clear motivator for those who have had, or who are considering cosmetic enhancements.

Interesting findings to come from the survey include:

  • The vast majority of respondents (68 per cent) said wanting to look younger was the main motivation for cosmetic enhancement, whilst 52 per cent said it was because they want to look more attractive.
  • 80 per cent of respondents believe cosmetic enhancement can make them look younger, with the majority (60 per cent) believing it can make you look up to and beyond 10 years more youthful.
  • Non-surgical anti-ageing facial cosmetic enhancements are those most likely to be undertaken by those who have not had cosmetic enhancement, with approximately 55 per cent likely or extremely likely to undertake anti-wrinkle injections, and over 40 per cent likely or extremely likely to have dermal fillers.
  • Face and neck lift surgery were amongst the top surgical procedures readers felt they were most likely to have in the future, and 96 per cent of women said they believed radiant skin is the most important feature of an attractive face, closely followed by a set of white, bright teeth.

The survey reinforced the toll that ageing can take on men and women’s perceptions of their appearance, with zero percent of respondents in their 50s feeling extremely satisfied with their overall appearance, compared with one hundred per cent of women in their 20s saying they were either satisfied or extremely satisfied.

For women, areas of concern varied with loss of volume their number one concern, closely followed by fine lines, deep wrinkles, pigmentation, loose skin and dark circles beneath the eyes. Facial concerns were again subject to age, however, with young women predominantly concerned by the emergence of fine lines, loss of volume and dark circles.

Fighting off ageing extends to the readers’ at home skincare regimes, with the vast majority of readers (82 per cent) confessing to including cleanser, moisturiser (91 per cent) and sunscreen (88 per cent) daily, and just over half had purchased anti-ageing products in the last 12 months. A further 34% regularly use cosmeceutical products to help fight ageing.

Despite obvious concerns about ageing, it seems a regular beauty regime has left the majority of men and women looking and feeling younger than their true age, with 47% of respondents claiming to look five years younger than they really are, and as many as 18% believing they look 10 years younger.

Finally, almost 60 per cent of respondents said they look to magazines for the latest information on cosmetic procedures, further evidencing Editor in Chief and founder Michelle Kearney’s reason for introducing Cosmetic Surgery & Beauty Magazine to the market 15 years ago!