Psychology of Beauty

Did you know there were psychological theories of beauty? A recent MailOnline article discussed inherited features that mother and daughters share, and the generational transmission of the mothers’ feelings about these features that they were unhappy with. Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center is committed to helping women correct flaws to their beauty, but what constitutes a flaw? Beyond that, why does a woman perceive a certain feature as flawed? Generally speaking, symmetry and proportion are considered attractive, and any feature that contributes to a lack of this symmetry and proportion might want correction.

Laura Arens Fuertstein PhD, author of My Mother, My Mirror: Recognizing and Making the Most of Inherited Self-Images, points out how mothers pass their feelings about aesthetic flaws on to their daughters, in the article mentioned above. And recent statistics show that more and more mother and daughters are undergoing surgery together.

In 2006, the Journal Of The American Academy Of Psychoanalysis And Dynamic Psychiatry published an article exploring and discussing the way mothers do pass on their feelings about their bodies to their daughters. The intra-psychic conflicts that cause anxiety arise around the issues of aging, self confidence, and life style choices. These intra-psychic conflicts also arise in women of various cultures as the white American standard of beauty continues to dominate the media leading to lower levels of self esteem in mothers of other ethnicities that are then passed to their daughters. And just how these feelings are passed on is up for debate. Those theories?

That beauty helps a women develop a sense of self. (From Object-relations theory)

Consistent responsiveness and approval of the mother creates a positive sense of self and self image. (From Attachment theory)

“In the sense of beauty there is a feeling of wholeness, pleasure, and lessening of anxiety.” (From Otto Rank’s psychoanalytic model).

And good old Freud thought that the ideal quality of beauty can function to transcend feelings of loss and vulnerability.

I find all this fascinating. Ultimately, both articles point out that aesthetic surgery can be a healthy endeavor if there is a basic understanding of what one wants to accomplish, and a basically strong sense of identity. So whether they inherited traits or not that you want to change, we at Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center encourage self esteem when pursuing cosmetic surgery. Come in with mom if you like!

Dr. Branman

Call Melinda at the front desk to set up a consultation 501-227-0707