Beyond Skin Deep: Patient Insights Into Cosmetic Procedures and Their Risks in Madinah, Saudi Arabia

Background The demand for cosmetic procedures has increased significantly due to their positive effects on self-satisfaction. However, individuals often underestimate the potential complications associated with these procedures, driven by a strong desire for transformation. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the Madinah community's awareness of cosmetic procedures and plastic surgery, as well as to assess the risks, complications, and clinical outcomes associated with these procedures. Materials and methods A non-probability consecutive sampling method was employed to select study participants, including every patient who met the inclusion criteria until the target sample size was reached, between March and June 2023. An intervener-based questionnaire survey was conducted to assess participant's understanding of the severity and associated risks of cosmetic procedures and plastic surgery. The minimum required sample size was determined to be 82 using OpenEpi version 3 software. Data were analyzed using t-tests, chi-square tests, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) as appropriate. Results The study included 82 participants, with 48.80% aged between 18 and 30 years and only 3.7% of them were male. The majority were of Saudi nationality (86.60%). While most participants (82.9%) were aware of cosmetic procedures and their risks, 28% lacked knowledge about potential complications, highlighting a notable knowledge gap. Some of the participants reported underlying health conditions such as obesity (8.5%), diabetes (3.7%), asthma (3.7%), and hypertension (2.4%), along with family histories of hereditary diseases (37.8%) and allergies (15.9%). The most common complications were facial swelling (63.41%), bruising (51.22%), rashes (30.49%), and subcutaneous blood pooling (19.51%). Less frequent complications included infections (15.85%) and reduced facial expressions (9.76%). Conclusion The study revealed that most participants demonstrated an overall awareness of the potential complications associated with cosmetic procedures. The commonly recognized complications of cosmetic facial procedures included swelling, bruising, rash, subcutaneous blood pooling, and infection. However, no specific factors related to the planning of facelift procedures were identified.