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Plastic Surgery Can Improve Sex Life, Study Says

by Marisa Amorasak

Perhaps the biggest overall goal for plastic surgery in general is to give people confidence in the way they look. Logically, this confidence can transfer into other areas of their life-- they may perform better at work, feel more outgoing, or have an overall sunnier outlook on life. Plastic surgery can even make a difference in the bedroom, according to research.

“For the longest time, tons of data were published about how plastic surgery enhances body image and restores self-confidence. And it was kind of known that if someone feels better about themselves, they become more sexual. But we never had the data to show it until now,” according to Guy Stofman, the chief of plastic surgery at Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh.

The study included 70 female plastic surgery patients. About 95% of them said that they had an improved body image following their plastic surgery, regardless of the procedure they had done. When it came to sexual satisfaction, the biggest improvement came from the women who had breast augmentation: 81% of the breast augmentation patients claimed that their sex life was better with their new breasts. Nearly 68% of the body contouring patients reported an improvement, followed by 32% of the facial surgery patients.

Based on the percentages, we can gather that women feel more sexually attractive when they have larger breasts. Body contouring (liposuction, tummy tuck, and other tightening techniques) also had a significant effect on sex life, but it's notable that it took a backseat to breast augmentation.

The facts are there, but the idea that plastic surgery can have a profound effect on body image doesn't sit well with everyone. Couldn't the same image-boosting sites be produced through psychotherapy? Moreover, isn't body image a psychological issue rather than one solely dependent on someone's actual measurements?

Gail Saltz, a New York City psychoanalyst, shared her thoughts on the matter: “Being able to achieve orgasm and have a satisfying sex life has a lot to do with sexual fantasy. And if your fantasy life is very hampered by feelings that you really dislike your body or breasts, then certainly creating an image for yourself that’s more akin to your sexual fantasy will help improve your sex life,” she said.

With that being said, Saltz doesn't believe that all sexual dissatisfaction can be cured by a bit of nip and tuck. “If you are feeling inhibited about the nature of your sexual fantasies, surgery isn’t going to change that, and it’s a lot to go through,” said Saltz.

Nonetheless, if your body issues don't run too deeply, a surgery like breast augmentation or a tummy tuck can improve your sex life. Laurie A. Casas, an associate professor of surgery at Northwestern University, said that people who undergo plastic surgery have a renewed sense of confidence in themselves, which translates directly to their sex life. “They walk in covered up by clothing and six months later, they walk in proud,” she says. “It doesn’t change who they are, but it makes them more confident. And intimacy stems from a sense of well-being and feeling good about your body,” said Casas.

If you'd like to learn more about plastic surgery procedures like breast augmentation or body contouring or to schedule an appointment with a board-certified plastic surgeon in your area, contact us today!