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Changing the Narrative in Aesthetics: Treatments Boost Inner Confidence

Confidence (n) – the feeling of having little doubt about yourself and your abilities.

New data ties aesthetic treatments to improved self-esteem and confidence.

Merz Aesthetics’ inaugural global survey, Pillars of Confidence: Global Insights on Aesthetics and Self-Affirmation, included 15,000 adults from 15 countries who have had an aesthetic treatment or are open to having one.

The survey, which is part of Merz Aesthetics’ Confidence to Be platform, explored the role that confidence plays in daily life and overall well-being, as well as the connection between internal selves and outward expression.

The main takeaway? Aesthetic treatments do more than just enhance appearance; they can help people feel empowered and confident.

Fully 72% of survey respondents agreed with the statement, “I am confident in who I am.” The findings also link external appearance to internal self-concept. When it comes to aesthetic treatments specifically, 73% of respondents reported saying they feel “empowered” after having an aesthetic treatment, 69% seek aesthetic treatments to reflect how they feel inside, and 72% said that aesthetic treatments impact how they view themselves. These  findings were similar across the globe.

“Looking better is not the end all,” Bob Rhatigan, the CEO of Merz Aesthetics, tells TDD. “You look better, so you feel better and that is what matters most, and that also helps you to live better.”

What Is Confidence?

“Confidence is about having a sense of self-efficacy and a general positive outlook and sense of self,” says Katherine Rice Warnell, an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Texas State in Round Rock, TX.

“For some, aesthetic treatment is a route to improve a facet of confidence, which has downstream positive effects,” she says. These can include improvements in physical and mental health as well as workplace and school success.

“There isn’t just one route to self-confidence. The folks in the survey say this route is beneficial to them, but that is not to say that is necessary beneficial for everyone,” Warnell says.

Another confidence-boosting benefit of aesthetic treatments? They help people look the way they feel and feel the way they look, she says.

“Identity discrepancy can hurt self-confidence, but if the discrepancy is reconciled, it can boost alignment and self-confidence,” she says.

To Daria Voropai, MD, an Aesthetic Physician in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, “Confidence is looking in the mirror and smiling. You are ready for the day and to jump into the unknown.”

For some people, aesthetic treatments get them there and for others, these treatments keep them there, she says.

Survey respondents agreed. The majority said that aesthetic treatments make them feel refreshed, more alive, and ready to embrace new experiences.

This confidence boost is often visible in after photos,” says Sheila Farhang, MD, a Dermatologist in Tucson, AZ. “Patients in my after photos are smiling a lot more, and their posture is more confident than in before pictures as they are excited about what’s to come.”