Background: In India, though aging process is universal, proportion of the patient undergoing cosmetic surgical procedures are relatively less. The present article analyses the acceptability of the cosmetic surgical procedures in general population and the difference in acceptability, if any, between males and females. 

Objectives: To find out acceptability of cosmetic surgery in general population, difference in acceptability in males and females and effect of age and socioeconomic status on the acceptability of cosmetic surgery. 

Methods: The study was conducted on 120 participants (students, employees of Manipal University (MU) and their relatives) (males 57, females 63) at Manipal between Dec 2009 and March 2010. Acceptability and socioeconomic status was assessed by arbitrary rating scale. Acceptability Score >3 indicated that cosmetic surgery was acceptable to the participant. Descriptive statistics- one way ANOVA was used to analyze the result. 

Results: Total mean acceptance score of the entire respondents (3.56±0.64; 95% CI 3.44-3.67)) showed that cosmetic surgery, in general, was acceptable to them. The mean acceptability score in males (3.43±0.66; 95% CI 3.26-3.60) was less as compared to females (3.68±0.60; 95% CI 3.52-3.83) and the difference was statistically significant (p-value 0.03550 yrs) (12 respondents) were 3.50±0.53, 3.62±0.73 and 3.62±0.73 and the differences among the groups were not significant (p-value 0.620). Seventy four (male 33, female 41) participants (61.7%) were from socioeconomic class 1 (Socioeconomic score 1-3) and forty six (Male 24, female 22) participants (38.3%) were from class 2 (Socioeconomic score >3). There was no significant (p-value 0.514) difference in mean cosmetic surgery acceptance scores of participants in socioeconomic class 1 (3.59±0.63) and socioeconomic class 2 (3.51±0.66). Out of 102 of 120 (85%) respondents expressed their opinion about concerns related to cosmetic surgery: 43.14% responders were concerned about the cost, 32.35% about complications and 13.73% about both down time as well as hospital facilities.

Conclusions: In general cosmetic surgery is acceptable to general population. The acceptability of cosmetic surgery was significantly less in males than females. There was no significant difference in acceptability of cosmetic surgery in different age group and in different socio-economic class. Responders were concerned about cost, complications, down time and hospital facilities in descending order of importance.