Objective: to examine the relationship between materialism and physical attractiveness with the aesthetic consumption of facial harmonization, influenced by age and gender.
Methodology: Using a quantitative approach, the study collected data from 735 participants through an online questionnaire, applying descriptive statistics, t-tests to compare groups and analyses of variance and correlation.
Results: The results indicate that individuals who have undergone cosmetic procedures perceive themselves as more attractive and have a greater inclination towards facial harmonization, while materialism did not show significant differences related to these behaviors. Women demonstrated a greater desire for facial harmonization, whereas men scored higher in materialism. Materialism was more pronounced among young adults, while attractiveness varied less with age.
Originality/Value: The research gap lies in understanding how these dimensions are influenced by these factors. These findings suggest that aesthetic consumption is driven by complex psychological and social motivations that transcend materialistic values, highlighting the need for further research on the socioeconomic and cultural influences on these decisions.
Alfenas, L. T., Moura, L. R. C., da Silveira Cunha, N. R., & Pires, R. R. (2019). O nível de materialismo dos estudantes de uma IES. Brazilian Journal of Development, 5(8), 12158-12171. DOI: https://doi.org/10.34117/bjdv5n8-065
Araújo, B., Davel, E., & Rentschler, R. (2020). Aesthetic consumption in managing art-driven organizations: an autoethnographic inquiry. Organizational Aesthetics, 9(3), 63-84. DOI: https://oa.journals.publicknowledgeproject.org/index.php/oa/article/view/163
Ashikali, E. M., & Dittmar, H. (2012). The effect of priming materialism on women's responses to thin‐ideal media. British Journal of Social Psychology, 51(4), 514-533. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8309.2011.02020.x
Assis, C. (2025). O corpo como vitrine: Identidade, consumo e performance estética no Instagram. Revista Brasileira de Psicologia Social, 28(1), 55–72.
Babadi, H., Fereidooni-Moghadam, M., Dashtbozorgi, B., & Cheraghian, B. (2018). Investigating psychosocial causes of the tendency for facial cosmetic surgery. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 42(4), 1157-1163. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-018-1078-1
Barra, J. V., Silva, W. R. D., Marôco, J., & Campos, J. A. D. B. (2019). Adaptação transcultural e validação do Questionário de Atitudes Socioculturais em Relação à Aparência-4 (SATAQ-4) aplicado a estudantes universitários. Cadernos de saúde pública, 35, e00170218. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/0102-311X00170218
Bartky, S. L. (2020). Narcissism, femininity and alienation. In Fashion Theory (pp. 677-691). Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315099620-62/narcissism-femininity-alienation-sandra-lee-bartky
Becker, L. & Kim, Y. (2025). Facial algorithms and identity: The aesthetic norms of Instagram filters. New Media & Society, 27(3), 330–348.
Belk, R. W. (1984). Three scales to measure constructs related to materialism: Reliability, validity, and relationships to measures of happiness in Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 11. In Association for Consumer Research (Vol. 29).
Belk, R. W. (1985). Materialism: Trait aspects of living in the material world. Journal of Consumer research, 12(3), 265-280.
Belk, R. W. (1990). The role of possessions in constructing and maintaining a sense of past. Advances in consumer research, 17(1).
Bell, J. et al. (2025). Beauty bias in recruitment: Facial symmetry and algorithmic perception in professional hiring. Journal of Applied Psychology, 110(4), 287–305.
Berscheid, E., & Walster, E. (1974). Physical attractiveness. In Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 7, pp. 157-215). Academic Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2601(08)60037-4
Brown, A., Furnham, A., Glanville, L., & Swami, V. (2007). Factors that affect the likelihood of undergoing cosmetic surgery. Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 27(5), 501-508. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asj.2007.06.004
Browne, B. A., & Kaldenberg, D. O. (1997). Conceptualizing self‐monitoring: links to materialism and product involvement. Journal of consumer marketing, 14(1), 31-44. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/07363769710155848
Buss, D. M. (2016). The evolution of desire: Strategies of human mating. Hachette UK.
Cao, T. (2020). P. The Use of Botulinum Toxin and Dermal Fillers to Enhance Patients’ Perceived Attractiveness. Dent. Clin. N. Am, 64, 659-668.
Cash, T. F. (2012). Encyclopedia of body image and human appearance. Academic Press.
Cheraghian, B., Fereidooni-Moghadam, M., Babadi, H., & Dashtbozorgi, B. (2020). Psychological and personality characteristics of applicants for facial cosmetic surgery. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 44, 780-787. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-020-01682-6
Ching, B. H. H., & Xu, J. T. (2019). Understanding cosmetic surgery consideration in Chinese adolescent girls: Contributions of materialism and sexual objectification. Body Image, 28, 6-15. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2018.11.001
Cillo, P., Coleman, N., Dennis, S., Dreyfuss, R., Hieke, S., Kahn, B., ... & Teplitz, S. (2016). Luxury customer experience and engagement. What is the impact of in-store technology?. Baker Retaling Centre, Working Paper Series, 34-44.
CRESWELL, J. W. (2007). Uma estrutura para projeto. Projeto de pesquisa: métodos qualitativo, quantitativo e misto. Porto Alegre: Artmed, 21-42.
Custódio, A. L. N., da Rocha Silva, A. M., Franco, C. C., Pacheco, R. F., & de Souza, M. S. (2020). Harmonização facial cirúrgica: área de atuação do cirurgião-dentista. Aesthetic orofacial science, 1(1), 9-19. DOI: https://doi.org/10.51670/ahof.v1i1.10
de Lourdes Bacha, M., Figueiredo, C., & Santos, J. F. (2012). Cultura do consumo e materialismo na Baixa Renda de São Paulo-Capital. Revista Extraprensa, 6(1), 31-37.
de Souza Bido, D., & Da Silva, D. (2019). SmartPLS 3: especificação, estimação, avaliação e relato. Administração: Ensino e Pesquisa, 20(2), 488-536.
Delinsky, S. S. (2005). Cosmetic Surgery: A Common and Accepted Form of Self‐Improvement? 1. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 35(10), 2012-2028. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2005.tb02207.x
d'Errico, F., Vanhaeren, M., Barton, N., Bouzouggar, A., Mienis, H., Richter, D., ... & Lozouet, P. (2009). Additional evidence on the use of personal ornaments in the Middle Paleolithic of North Africa. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(38), 16051-16056. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0903532106
Dittmar, H. (2007). Consumer culture, identity and well-being: The search for the'good life'and the'body perfect'. Psychology press.
Faul, F., Erdfelder, E., Lang, A. G., & Buchner, A. (2007). G* Power 3: A flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences. Behavior research methods, 39(2), 175-191. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03193146
Fink, B., & Penton-Voak, I. (2002). Evolutionary psychology of facial attractiveness. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 11(5), 154-158. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8721.001
Freitas, H., Oliveira, M., Saccol, A. Z., & Moscarola, J. (2000). O método de pesquisa survey. Revista de Administra&ccdeil; ão da Universidade de São Paulo, 35(3).
Garcia, A. & Mendes, R. (2023). Selfie culture and the pursuit of aesthetic intervention: An analysis of digital self-comparison on TikTok. Journal of Digital Society, 15(2), 112–129.
Guthrie, A., Kadakia, S., Cranford, J., Sawhney, R., & Ducic, Y. (2017). A review of complications and their treatments in facial aesthetic surgery. The American Journal of Cosmetic Surgery, 34(2), 73-80. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0748806816689619
Harrar, H., Myers, S., & Ghanem, A. M. (2018). Art or science? An evidence-based approach to human facial beauty a quantitative analysis towards an informed clinical aesthetic practice. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 42, 137-146. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-017-1032-7
Henderson-King, D., & Brooks, K. D. (2009). Materialism, sociocultural appearance messages, and paternal attitudes predict college women's attitudes about cosmetic surgery. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 33(1), 133-142. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6402.2008.01480.
Henderson-King, D., & Henderson-King, E. (2005). Acceptance of cosmetic surgery: Scale development and validation. Body image, 2(2), 137-149. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2005.03.003
Holbrook, M. B., & Hirschman, E. C. (1982). The experiential aspects of consumption: Consumer fantasies, feelings, and fun. Journal of consumer research, 9(2), 132-140.
Holman, R. H. (1981). Apparel as communication. ACR Special Volumes. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/208906
Johnson, S. K., Podratz, K. E., Dipboye, R. L., & Gibbons, E. (2010). Physical attractiveness biases in ratings of employment suitability: Tracking down the “beauty is beastly” effect. The Journal of social psychology, 150(3), 301-318. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00224540903365414
Kain, N., & Amar, O. (2020). Cosmetic surgery in men. Trends in Urology & Men's Health, 11(4), 22-26. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/tre.761
Kaipainen, A. E., Sieber, K. R., Nada, R. M., Maal, T. J., Katsaros, C., & Fudalej, P. S. (2016). Regional facial asymmetries and attractiveness of the face. European journal of orthodontics, 38(6), 602-608. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ejo/cjv087
Kalaaji, A., Dreyer, S., Vadseth, L., Maric, I., Jönsson, V., & Haukebøe, T. H. (2019). Gluteal augmentation with fat: retrospective safety study and literature review. Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 39(3), 292-305. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/asj/sjy153
Kasser, T. (2002). The high price of materialism. MIT press.
Kasser, T., & Ryan, R. M. (1996). Further examining the American dream: Differential correlates of intrinsic and extrinsic goals. Personality and social psychology bulletin, 22(3), 280-287. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/014616729622300
Khan, A., Tan, S., & Li, F. (2024). Material values and digital face filters: Aesthetic consumption in the age of AI beauty. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 34(1), 22–38
Langlois, J. H., Kalakanis, L., Rubenstein, A. J., Larson, A., Hallam, M., & Smoot, M. (2000). Maxims or myths of beauty? A meta-analytic and theoretical review. Psychological bulletin, 126(3), 390. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.126.3.390
Lee, M. S., & Ahn, C. S. Y. (2016). Anti‐consumption, materialism, and consumer well‐being. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 50(1), 18-47. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/joca.12089
Leung Ng, Y., & Chan, K. (2014). Do females in advertisements reflect adolescents’ ideal female images?. Journal of consumer marketing, 31(3), 170-176. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JCM-10-2013-0748
Ligh, C. A., Lett, E., Broach, R. B., Enriquez, F. A., Jordan, A., Percec, I., ... & Butler, P. D. (2020). The impact of race, age, gender, income, and level of education on motivations to pursue cosmetic surgery and surgeon selection at an academic institution. Plastic and reconstructive surgery, 145(5), 932e-939e. DOI: 10.1097/PRS.0000000000006734
Lins, V. F., & Brandão, D. G. (2021). A utilização da fibrina rica em plaquetas em procedimentos estéticos orofaciais: uma revisão integrativa.
Lorenzo, G. L., Biesanz, J. C., & Human, L. J. (2010). What is beautiful is good and more accurately understood: Physical attractiveness and accuracy in first impressions of personality. Psychological science, 21(12), 1777-1782. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/09567976103880
Malhotra, N. K. (2019). Pesquisa de Marketing-: uma orientação aplicada. Bookman Editora.
Markley Rountree, M., & Davis, L. (2011). A dimensional qualitative research approach to understanding medically unnecessary aesthetic surgery. Psychology & Marketing, 28(10), 1027-1043. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20426
Morales, V., Santos, E., & Liu, Y. (2024). Body image, self-esteem, and aesthetic procedures in emerging adults: A global analysis. Body Image, 21(1), 88–103.
Nair, K. & Simmons, A. (2024). Perceived attractiveness and workplace advantage: The post-pandemic aesthetic economy. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 35(2), 201–219.
Nash, R., Fieldman, G., Hussey, T., Lévêque, J. L., & Pineau, P. (2006). Cosmetics: They influence more than Caucasian female facial attractiveness. Journal of applied social psychology, 36(2), 493-504. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0021-9029.2006.00016.x
Papazian, M. F., da Silva, L. M., Crepaldi, A. A., Crepaldi, M. D. L. S., & de Aguiar, A. P. (2018). Principais aspectos dos preenchedores faciais. Revista Faipe, 8(1), 101-116.
Peterson, M. & Lee, H. (2024). The quantified face: Aesthetic feedback loops in influencer culture. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 48(1), 66–82
Ponchio, M. C., Aranha, F., & Todd, S. (2007). Estudo exploratório do construto de materialismo no contexto de consumidores de baixa renda do município de São Paulo. Revista Ibero Americana de Estratégia, 6(1), 13-21.
Rhodes, G. (2006). The evolutionary psychology of facial beauty. Annu. Rev. Psychol., 57(1), 199-226. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.57.102904.190208
Richins, M. L., & Dawson, S. (1992). A consumer values orientation for materialism and its measurement: Scale development and validation. Journal of consumer research, 19(3), 303-316. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/209304
Riggio, R. E., Widaman, K. F., Tucker, J. S., & Salinas, C. (1991). Beauty is more than skin deep: Components of attractiveness. Basic and applied social psychology, 12(4), 423-439. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1207/s15324834basp1204_4
Rovida, T. A. S., & Garbin, C. A. S. (2013). Noções de odontologia legal e bioética. Artes Médicas Editora.
Russell, R. (2009). A sex difference in facial contrast and its exaggeration by cosmetics. Perception, 38(8), 1211-1219. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1068/p6331
Samizadeh, S. (2019). The ideals of facial beauty among Chinese aesthetic practitioners: results from a large national survey. Aesthetic plastic surgery, 43, 102-114. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-018-1241-8
Sarstedt, M., Ringle, C. M., & Hair, J. F. (2021). Partial least squares structural equation modeling. In Handbook of market research (pp. 587-632). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Sarwer, D. B., Cash, T. F., Magee, L., Williams, E. F., Thompson, J. K., Roehrig, M., ... & Romanofski, M. (2005). Female college students and cosmetic surgery: An investigation of experiences, attitudes, and body image. Plastic and reconstructive surgery, 115(3), 931-938. DOI: 10.1097/01.PRS.0000153204.37065.D3
Schaefer, L. M., Burke, N. L., Thompson, J. K., Dedrick, R. F., Heinberg, L. J., Calogero, R. M., ... & Swami, V. (2015). Development and validation of the sociocultural attitudes towards appearance questionnaire-4 (SATAQ-4). Psychological assessment, 27(1), 54. DOI: ttps://doi.org/10.1037/a0037917
Swami, V., & Tovée, M. J. (2008). The muscular male: A comparison of the physical attractiveness preferences of gay and heterosexual men. International Journal of Men’s Health, 7(1), 59-71. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3149/jmh.0701.59
Swami, V., Arteche, A., Chamorro-Premuzic, T., Furnham, A., Stieger, S., Haubner, T., & Voracek, M. (2008). Looking good: Factors affecting the likelihood of having cosmetic surgery. European Journal of Plastic Surgery, 30, 211-218. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00238-007-0185-z
Swami, V., Miller, R., Furnham, A., Penke, L., & Tovée, M. J. (2008). The influence of men’s sexual strategies on perceptions of women’s bodily attractiveness, health and fertility. Personality and Individual Differences, 44(1), 98-107. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2007.07.017
Taylor, S. S., & Hansen, H. (2005). Finding form: Looking at the field of organizational aesthetics. Journal of Management studies, 42(6), 1211-1231. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2005.00539.x
Tiggemann, M., & Slater, A. (2014). NetTweens: The internet and body image concerns in preteenage girls. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 34(5), 606-620. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0272431613501083
Venkatesh, A., & Meamber, L. A. (2008). The aesthetics of consumption and the consumer as an aesthetic subject. Consumption, Markets and culture, 11(1), 45-70. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10253860701799983
Webster Jr, M., & Driskell Jr, J. E. (1983). Beauty as status. American Journal of sociology, 89(1), 140-165.
Woodman, T., & Steer, R. (2011). Body self‐discrepancies and women's social physique anxiety: The moderating role of the feared body. British Journal of Psychology, 102(2), 147-160. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1348/000712610X507821
Zilhão, J., Angelucci, D. E., Badal-García, E., d’Errico, F., Daniel, F., Dayet, L., ... & Zapata, J. (2010). Symbolic use of marine shells and mineral pigments by Iberian Neandertals. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107(3), 1023-1028. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0914088107
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Revista Alcance is a Brazilian free access journal, published every four months, linked to the Graduate Program in Administration and the Professional Master’s degree in Administration, Internationalization and Logistics Program of the University of Vale do Itajaí – Univali. We seek to publish theoretical-empirical and technological articles in the areas of Business Administration. Different theoretical and methodological perspectives are welcome, as long as they are consistent with and relevant to the development of the area.
