Turkish men, women want aesthetic surgery: Survey

DENİZLİ - Anatolia News Agency

It is important for people to have a physical appearance similar to the understanding of beauty in their own culture, the survey says. Hürriyet photo

A new study conducted by a Turkish university has revealed the importance Turks place on appearance and the popularity of aesthetic surgery in the country, especially among women and people under the age of 40.

“Some 65 percent of the population gives importance to the beauty of the body and face. Only 14 percent of the total of both age groups [18-39 and 40-65] do not give importance to it, while 20.5 percent say that it doesn’t matter,” said Professor İnci Gökalan Kara, the head Muğla’s Pamukkale’s Faculty of Medicine Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Department.

The study was conducted by three lecturers and five students from the department among 1,000 people who had applied for aesthetic surgery over the last five years, Kara said.

The 1,000 respondents were split into the two age groups and by gender, she said.

“The survey is an attempt to determine Turkish people’s knowledge about aesthetic surgeries, their attitude toward this surgery and whether they really want this surgery,” she said.

The survey also revealed the most popular aesthetic surgeries, Kara said. “Even though nose surgery seems more popular, our survey showed that men are more interested in hair transplants while women are more interested in abdominal liposuction and abdomen lifting.”

The understanding of beauty varies in every culture, she said, but added that it was very important for people to have a physical appearance similar to the understanding of beauty in their own culture to have self-confidence.
“If a person is not happy with his or her physical appearance, it engenders a lack of confidence in this person. It also causes the person to avoid social areas and can even create behavioral disorders,” Kara said.

People above 40 give more importance to aesthetic

Kara said many of the men between the ages of 18 and 39 found themselves handsome, while 35 percent of them were adamant in having aesthetic surgery. “This rate is 65 percent in women,” she added.

People over the age 40, however, are more cautious about having aesthetic surgery, she said. “People under the age of 40 are more willing to have aesthetic surgery.”

According to results of the survey, some people who wanted to have aesthetic surgery were unable to do so because of financial problems, fear of surgery or the opposition of their family, the professor said.
Kara said aesthetic worries mostly appeared in summer months. “When people take off their clothes, they have a greater desire to have aesthetic surgery. Breast reduction and breast enlargement are summer surgeries. Since respiratory tract problems increase in winter, the number of nose surgeries increases in winter months,” she said.