Self‐Presentation Concerns and Health Behaviors Among Cosmetic Surgery Patients

The present investigation examined the relationship between self‐presentational motives and physical activity in a population of cosmetic surgery participants. Participants were 50 female and 5 male cosmetic surgery patients (CSPs; M age = 38.5 years) who completed a battery of self‐report measures following either vein or acne treatment. Analyses revealed significant group differences on self‐presentational concern and public self‐consciousness between: (a) those who elected the treatment for appearance motives and those who elected treatment for health‐based motives, and (b) the more frequent (3 or more times per week) and less frequent (2 or less times per week) exercisers. Greater self‐presentational concerns and greater public self‐consciousness were associated with having appearance‐related motives for treatment and with being a less frequent exerciser.