Study Links Personality Traits to Rhinoplasty Satisfaction

A new study published in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery suggests a distinct relationship between personality traits and satisfaction with rhinoplasty outcomes. 

The study, titled “Rhinoplasty and the ‘Big Five’ Model: The Impact of Patients’ Personality Traits on Post-surgical Satisfaction Outcomes,” assessed personality traits and nasal perceptions among rhinoplasty patients and the general population using the Rhinoplasty Health Inventory and Nasal Outcomes (RHINO) scale preoperatively and postoperatively, along with the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), for personality structure profiling based on the Big Five model. 

Participants included 117 rhinoplasty patients and 95 control participants. Rhinoplasty patients, especially female patients, showed lower neuroticism and agreeableness but higher conscientiousness than controls. Female rhinoplasty patients exhibited reduced negative affect and self-reapproach, while males demonstrated lower positive affect relative to controls. RHINO scale scores indicated post-surgical improvement in all aesthetic and functional domains. 

Regarding the relationship between personality traits and rhinoplasty satisfaction, the study revealed significant correlations between neuroticism and aesthetic satisfaction, while conscientiousness showed an inverse association with satisfaction among female patients. 

Authors of the study propose that the NEO-FFI may serve as a useful preoperative screening tool to identify patients at risk for dissatisfaction and encourage further research across diverse populations to validate these findings.