However, the vast majority of people who have cosmetic surgery have one procedure and never look back. They're made happier and more secure in themselves because of it. In fact, the same study by social worker Roberta Honigman and psychiatrists Katherine Phillips, MD, and David Castle, MD, also suggested positive outcomes in some patients, including improvements in body image and possibly a boost in their quality of life as well1. Therefore, it would be wrong to say that cosmetic surgery can be psychologically damaging as a rule. Many studies have shown that patients have higher self-esteem after surgery. For example, in a recent study by Sarwer found that a year after receiving cosmetic surgery, 87 per cent of patients reported satisfaction following their surgery, including improvements in their overall body image and the body feature altered. They also experienced less negative body image emotions in social situations2.