Across cultures like the United States, Japan, and Hong Kong, people tend to ascribe unfavorable traits to cosmetic surgery patients, with stronger rejection observed in Japan and Hong Kong, where social contact with such individuals is less common. The findings of the study examine perceptions of cosmetic surgery patients across three cultural contexts and reveal that attitudes toward cosmetic surgery patients are largely negative across all three cultures. Participants associated cosmetic surgery patients with more negative traits and generally viewed the practice as unacceptable. However, the level of negativity varied by region. In the United States, attitudes were less harsh compared to Hong Kong and Japan, where individuals expressed strong reluctance to form social relationships—especially intimate ones—with those who had undergone cosmetic surgery.

One key factor influencing these attitudes is the level of social contact. In the U.S., where social exposure to cosmetic surgery patients is more frequent, negative perceptions were mitigated. This suggests that familiarity and personal interactions can play a crucial role in shaping societal acceptance of cosmetic procedures. In contrast, in Hong Kong and Japan, where social contact with cosmetic surgery patients is less common, negative attitudes persisted more strongly.

These results carry significant implications for the well-being of cosmetic surgery patients. Many individuals undergo such procedures with the hope of enhancing their social lives, yet cultural biases may hinder these expectations. The study highlights the need for increased awareness and social integration to foster more accepting attitudes.

As noted in the research, the perception of cosmetic surgery in Hong Kong remains complex:  "Although such formal statistics about Hong Kong are not available, a plastic surgery specialist in Hong Kong reported cosmetic surgery in Hong Kong is often considered by both local and overseas Chinese to be one of the highest qualities and best value" (Tam, 463).

There is a continuous rise in the amount of people who undergo aesthetic surgery with a 41% increase over the last 4 years. Both surgical and non-surgical enhancing procedures are becoming more popular each year.

Liposuction, the most common surgical procedure, had more than 2.3 million procedures in the past year and a 21% increase.

Overall, there is a large difference in the genders which undergo these cosmetic procedures. Around 86% of the total number of aesthetic procedures are performed in women, with procedures performed in men increasing by 18%.

There were different tendencies in the type of surgical procedures that certain groups of people underwent. For younger age groups, women around the ages of 18-34 years, breast augmentation and rhinoplasties were the most popular. Whereas liposuction was most common for women aged 34-50.

For both women and men, botulinum toxin (botox) was the most common non-surgical procedure across all age groups. For this procedure, more than 9 million people have gone through with it.

Statistically, different countries have different rates on the amount of people that have cosmetic procedures. The country with the most procedures of all is the US, with over 7 million procedures, and following it are Brazil and Japan. The US and Brazil are estimated to have the most plastic surgeons, followed by Asian countries.

A global survey editor and famous plastic surgeon, Dr Gianluca Campiglio from Italy, has noted that despite there being drastic changes in the popularity of these procedures in different countries and cultures, the survey showed a significant overall increase in the amount of procedures done. This doctor thinks that the reason for such increase is due to the great use of masks in 2022.