The acceptance of cosmetic surgery : a study on Thai women in Bangkok

Abstract

The business of cosmetic surgery has now become a very lucrative and fast-paced industry as appearance-enhancing treatments and procedures have become increasingly popular around the world. A number of cosmetic surgery clinics and hospitals are now competing against one another to capture a share of the multi-billion dollar cosmetic surgery market. Thailand has been one of the most sought after countries for cosmetic surgery and ranks among the top 20 countries for cosmetic surgery procedures worldwide. The main aim of this study is to examine the relationship between intrapersonal and interpersonal factors which influence the acceptance of cosmetic surgery among Thai women. This research study examined the relationship between psychological characteristics, sociocultural influences, cosmetic sur- gery experiences, body appearances, body image, demographic variables and respondents' acceptance of cosmetic surgery. The 437 non-clinical respondents in this study are exclusively Thai women who have undergone cosmetic surgery in the past or who are likely to undergo cosmetic sometime soon. The data was gathered from 13 cosmetic surgery clinics and hospitals located in different parts of Bangkok. Narcissism, appearance orientation and body area satisfaction were significantly related to the acceptance of cosmetic surgery. Respondents with vicarious experiences were more favorable toward accepting cosmetic surgery. The findings showed statistical differences in the demographic variables of age, income, occupation, vicarious experiences with respondents' perception of body image and their acceptance of cosmetic surgery. Consumers who accept cosmetic surgery show a marked tendency for facial treatments (rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty) rather than surgery related to their bodies. This exploratory study will help develop new research paradigms in consumer research, interna- tional marketing, and managerial practices. Marketers can use this study's findings to better understand the nature of Thai female consumers and to segment and target those consumers who have favorable attitude toward enhancing their appearance.

ธุรกิจศัลยกรรมความงามกลายเป็นอุตสาหกรรม ที่ทำกำไรอย่างมากและมีการเติบโตอย่างรวดเร็ว และการทำศัลยกรรมตกแต่งเสริมความงามแก่รูปร่างหน้าตายังเป็นที่นิยมอย่างแพร่หลายทั่วโลก ปัจจุบันคลินิกและโรงพยาบาลบริการการทำศัลยกรรมตกแต่งความงามมีการแข่งขันอย่างมากเพื่อได้มาซึ่งส่วนแบ่งตลาดที่มีมูลค่าหลายพันล้านดอลล่าร์ประเทศไทยเป็นที่ถูกจับตามองมากที่สุดเนื่องจากติด 20 อันดับสูงสุดที่มีการทำศัลยกรรมความงามทั่วโลก