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Abstract
Background:
Aesthetic interventions, such as Botox, fillers, and rhinoplasty, have gained increasing popularity worldwide, with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) being no exception. The procedures have been found to affect the psychological well-being and quality of life of patients. Nonetheless, little information exists on the general effect of these procedures on self-esteem, body image, and social acceptance among UAE patients. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to provide a comprehensive analysis of these effects in the UAE population.
Objectives:
The primary aim of this study was to assess how aesthetic procedures impact the quality of life and psychological well-being of patients in the UAE. The secondary aims were to determine how self-esteem, body image and social acceptance relate to aesthetic treatments after the treatments.
Methods:
Our systematic review and meta-analysis were based on the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. A thorough search of electronic databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, PMC etc.) was conducted to find out the studies published in 2010-2025. Inclusion criteria consisted of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), cross-sectional studies, and case studies that investigated the psychological effects of aesthetic procedures on patients in the UAE. The inclusion criteria required that the studies report on self-esteem, body image, or quality of life after treatment. Two independent reviewers extracted the data, and Cohen’s d was used to estimate the effect sizes for psychological outcomes and quality of life. The data were pooled by a random-effects model, and the heterogeneity was measured by I2 statistics.
Results:
The number of studies that passed the inclusion criteria was 16 with 4,401 participants. The pooled effect size for self-esteem improvement was Cohen’s d = 0.62 (indicating a medium effect) and Cohen’s d = 0.55 (moderate effect) was the pooled effect size of quality of life improvement. The results showed a significant improvement in self-esteem and social acceptance after treatment, particularly with Botox and fillers. Nevertheless, there were participants that had rhinoplasty and liposuction who reported reduced body image scores though there was greater social acceptance. The heterogeneity among studies was moderate (I² = 50%), indicating variability in the outcomes, likely due to differences in study designs and populations.
Conclusion:
This meta-analysis offers good evidence that aesthetic dermatology surgeries are highly effective in enhancing self-esteem and quality life among patients in the UAE. Although non-invasive treatments that include Botox and fillers have the most promising results, rhinoplasty and liposuction might be less predictable in their influence on body image. The results can be used to emphasize the importance of prioritizing patient expectations and pre-procedure psychological evaluations to increase long-term satisfaction.