Botox Makes Women Look Younger — But Not More Dateable

Cosmetic Procedures Rejuvenate — But Only Slightly

Researchers from the Netherlands set out to examine how aesthetic medicine really influences how people perceive appearance. They invited over 3,000 volunteers, showing them photos of people either before or after minimally invasive cosmetic treatments such as Botox or fillers. Participants never saw both versions of the same person. Their task was to rate the women’s:

• attractiveness,
• approachability,
• intelligence,
• charisma,
• and guess whether they had undergone a cosmetic procedure.

The results? Cosmetic procedures only slightly improved appearance. On a seven-point scale, attractiveness increased by just 0.09 points on average. The biggest boost was in perceived youthfulness — faces were rated only 0.13 points younger. Interestingly, ratings of intelligence, charisma, and friendliness did not change at all.

The researchers went a step further: they wanted to see if looking younger thanks to Botox would make women seem like ideal candidates for a long-term relationship.

Worth a read: Body Positivity for the Poor. Beauty for the Rich

Botox Effect: Good for a Fling, Not for Love

In a follow-up experiment, nearly 500 Americans took part. Each was shown photos of 81 women — either before or after a cosmetic procedure — along with brief information about their age, name, and hobbies.

Participants then answered whether they would see the woman as a friend, a short-term lover, or a long-term romantic partner.

Cosmetic Procedures: Surprising Findings

The results were striking: women who had undergone a cosmetic procedure were not seen as suitable long-term partners. Men were far more likely to pick them for a casual fling or friendship.

“The results showed that those rated after a single session of a minimally invasive facial aesthetic procedure were perceived as more desirable friends and more desirable short-term romantic partners. […] However, we did not observe an increase in perceived attractiveness as a partner for a long-term romantic relationship” the researchers wrote.

The Conclusion: Just one treatment can change how men perceive women — but mainly by making them seem more suitable for a short fling or friendship. When it comes to serious relationships, the change is minimal.

Read the original article: Możesz się zdziwić. Tak mężczyźni oceniają Cię po botoksie