Cosmetic Surgery

The study of marital satisfaction and its determining factors has always been of interest to researchers in the fields of Psychology and Social Sciences. The objective of the present study was to predict marital satisfaction based on social networks and body image in women who chose to have cosmetic surgery through the mediation of emotion regulation. The research methods were correlation and path analysis. The statistical population included all women who chose to have rhinoplasty in beauty clinics in districts 1 to 5 of Tehran in 2021. From among them, 150 women were selected through convenience sampling method. They filled out Olson’s (1998) Marital Satisfaction questionnaire, Mojaradi et al.’s (2014) Social Network questionnaire, Body Image questionnaire (1970) and John and Gross’ (2003) Emotion Regulation questionnaire. Descriptive analysis and path analysis were conducted using SPSS software (version 25) and PLS software (version 3), respectively. The results showed that the direct effects of body image on emotion regulation, emotion regulation on marital satisfaction, virtual social network on emotion regulation, and virtual social network on marital satisfaction were significant (p < 0.05). However, the direct effect of body image on marital satisfaction was not significant (p < 0.05). In addition, the indirect effect of body image mediated by emotion regulation on marital satisfaction, and that of virtual social network mediated by emotion regulation on marital satisfaction of women who chose to have cosmetic surgery were not significant (p < 0.05).

The beauty industry in Iran has seen remarkable growth in recent years, fueled by deep-rooted cultural ideals surrounding physical appearance. Many Iranians, as idealists, strive to meet high standards of beauty, a pursuit that has led to the booming of various beauty industries, including cosmetics, skincare, and plastic surgery. While the desire to look beautiful is often associated with social acceptance and personal confidence, the pursuit of beauty in Iran also has significant health consequences. Drawing on a review of existing literature, industry reports, and cultural studies, the study explores how beauty standards in Iran influence individual health, both physically and psychologically. Our results show that the pressures to conform to societal beauty standards can lead to an obsession with appearance, which, in turn, may result in mental health challenges such as anxiety, body dysmorphia, and depression. This article argues that while the beauty business thrives on society's idealistic vision of attractiveness, it comes at a cost. The commodification of beauty has not only reshaped cultural values but also introduced health risks that must be critically assessed.