The RealSelf Culture Report

While plenty of celebrities still swear that water, sleep, and olive oil are the secrets to their taut necks and jawlines at fiftysomething, we’ve entered an era of greater transparency around cosmetic treatments than ever before. Entire storylines have been built around Real Housewives’ nose jobs, stars are showing their breast implant removal scars on Instagram, and even Kylie Jenner is admitting it’s time she and her sisters have a “bigger conversation about the beauty standards we’re setting.” 

It’s not surprising, then, that 44% of Gen Zers say they’ve learned about cosmetic procedures via social media (compared to 30% of Millennials, 14% of Gen Xers, and just 8% of Boomers). 

How does hearing about and seeing increasingly more cosmetic work on our screens affect us? 

As for which celebrities have had bad cosmetic work? Madonna (15%); Michael Jackson (8%); Joan Rivers (5%); and Kim Kardashian, Kenny Rogers, and Meg Ryan (4%) topped the list among respondents who named a celebrity.

64% of Gen Zers and 62% of Millennials said they would like to have a female celebrity’s feature. In stark contrast, 68% of Boomers do not want any female celebrity’s feature.   

These are the most in-demand features among women of all age groups who chose Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez, or Angelina Jolie.

These are the most in-demand features among men of all groups who chose Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The most quintessentially American political parable with an aesthetics lesson is that of the first nationally televised presidential debate. As it’s taught in U.S. history classes, Richard Nixon showed up looking pale and sickly after a recent hospitalization and refused makeup for his five-o’clock shadow. John F. Kennedy accepted makeup and went on-screen with an enviable tan and bright smile, winning over the American public and, ultimately, taking the presidency. There’s no real evidence to support the claim that JFK won because of his appearance rather than his competence, but we take it at face value because, well, of course looks matter. 

But where do we draw the line, when it comes to what our politicians do in order to look good?

When asked to describe “what plastic surgery is” from a list of positive and negative attributes, the top three selections among people who identify as Republican were fake (39%), dangerous (32%), and vain (31%). 

Among those who identify as Democrat, the top three were a form of self-improvement (33%), an empowered personal choice (30%), and a way to build confidence (30%). Talk about a political divide.

Democrats were voted more likely to get plastic surgery than Republicans by people* of every political persuasion and age group.

*Among those who chose a specific party

29% of Democrats have had a cosmetic procedure versus 22% of Republicans and 22% of Independents. 16% of Democrats have gotten 2 or more procedures compared to 9% of Republican voters. 

Both political parties agreed that the number one reason Democrats are more likely to get cosmetic work done is that they tend to value appearance more. But each group took a dig at the opposing party with their second-choice reasons: Republicans said it’s because Democrats are less attractive, while Democrats said it’s because they make more money and/or have more disposable income.

Among survey respondents who named a politician they think has had cosmetic work, 19% cited one with bad cosmetic work, while just 8% mentioned one with good cosmetic work. Nancy Pelosi, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden were the top three mentioned. The thumbs-up icon in the image above represents the percentage of respondents who consider their cosmetic work to be good, while the thumbs-down icon represents the percentage who consider their cosmetic work to be bad.
 
20% of Republicans say it’s inappropriate for any politicians, male or female, to get plastic surgery. Only 9% of Democrats think it’s inappropriate.

Despite the strong personal feelings of some in their party, the majority of Democrats (72%) and Republicans (69%) say they’re not more or less likely to vote for a candidate who has had a cosmetic procedure. As one blue voter put it, “The way they look shouldn’t influence their politics or how their constituents view their politics.”

You can’t talk about cosmetic procedures without mentioning money. Of people who have considered a treatment or surgery but have not had one, 60% say it’s because they aren’t financially ready yet. Lineless foreheads and gleaming teeth are indeed status symbols in our culture, where “the new 50” keeps getting younger and facelift prices can make Birkin bags look like a downright bargain. So we wanted to know: How do Americans really feel about plastic surgery spending?

40% of people making $150K or more have had a cosmetic treatment.

35% of men say they have hidden or would hide their cosmetic-treatment spending from a partner, making them 15% more likely to hide it than women.

Younger people are more likely to hide costs too: 44% of Gen Zers say they have hidden or would hide their spending from a partner vs. 22% of Gen Xers. And those in the highest income bracket, making $150K or more, are the most likely to have hidden or hide costs. 

How much would you spend to get the look you want?

26% of 30- to 44-year-olds would spend anywhere from $10K to $100K to have their dream feature.

☝️But 65% of people ages 45–64 and 74% of people 65+ wouldn’t spend any amount on plastic surgery.

Layoffs are up nearly fivefold in 2023 compared to 2022, with job cuts hitting the tech industry the hardest, followed by finance, then healthcare and retail. In a competitive job market and the new age of AI, staying relevant is top of mind for many: 16% of people say they feel pressure to look younger in the workforce. 

The income bracket most likely to feel the most workplace pressure to look younger: people making $150K or more (23%). 

Life comes at us fast—one day, you’re young and full of collagen; the next, you’ve got gray hairs growing in strange places. For so many who get cosmetic procedures, the desire isn’t to look like a different person; it’s simply to get back what was lost—in an accident, in the natural aging process, in bringing a new life into the world. 

The top procedures for people who had been in an accident and people who were planning a trip were cosmetic dental work, hair restoration, and weight loss surgery. For those planning a wedding, cosmetic dentistry, laser treatments and chemical peels were the most popular choices.

Motherhood is a life-altering milestone that, for many, requires sacrificing the body you knew. Pregnancy and childbirth can leave lasting changes, and mommy makeovers can help women to feel like their pre-baby selves again: 18% of people ages 18–29 said they discussed mommy makeover procedures with their partner prior to giving birth and that their partner was supportive if they chose surgery in the future, while only 4% of people ages 45–64 said they discussed the procedures and their partner was supportive.

Of women who said they would be interested in a cosmetic surgery to address their postpartum body concerns, 39% picked tummy tuck surgery as their top choice, while 32% of moms chose some form of breast surgery—a breast lift, breast implants, or a breast reduction—and 13% chose liposuction. It makes sense, given that a tummy tuck, breast surgery, and lipo make up the most common procedure combinations in a mommy makeover.