ELZEN, HELGA J. VAN DEN

AbstractBackgroundDue to the great importance of the face in social interaction, minimally invasive treatments can—besides their ability to rejuvenate and enhance beauty—also change the way facial impressions of a person are perceived. In recent literature, three main character traits (attractiveness, trustworthiness, and competence) and subdomains essential for facial perception were described.ObjectiveTo investigate whether minimally invasive procedures truly influence different character traits when evaluated by independent, objective observers.MethodsPhotographs of n = 34 female faces before and after treatment with injectable fillers and botulinum toxin were rated by 393 individuals without aesthetic background with regards to different character traits on a 7‐point Likert scale. Tests for dimensionality were performed, and composite scores of the impressions underlying each of the three dimensions were created and compared using within‐subjects t tests.ResultsTreatments statistically significantly improved the overarching character trait domains attractiveness, trustworthiness, and competence in posttreatment photographs compared with pretreatment. Posttreatment ratings of the respective subdomains also showed a statistically significant difference compared with pretreatment photographs, with the exception of the subdomain dominance which failed to reach statistical significance.ConclusionImpressions of facial attractiveness, trustworthiness, and competence can be improved by injectables while the naturalness of the face is left intact. An implication is that the improvement of traits highly relevant to social interaction will accommodate the patient's desires for beautification and rejuvenation.