Role of Body Esteem in Beauty Care Behaviors on Self-esteem, Interpersonal Relationship Formation, and Conflict Management

Purpose: This study investigated the effects of beauty management behaviors on self-esteem and interpersonal effectiveness among university students to identify the structural relationships between these variables empirically. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted with 200 university students residing in Gwangju, South Korea. The collected data were analyzed using frequency analysis, exploratory factor analysis, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis using SPSS version 26.0 program. Results: The findings were as follows: (1) Beauty management behaviors (nail care, skin care, and hair/makeup care) had a significant positive effect on self-esteem. (2) Beauty management behaviors positively affected the subfactors of interpersonal effectiveness, conflict management, and relationship formation, even though hair/makeup care behavior did not have a significant effect on relationship formation. (3) Self-esteem has a substantial positive impact on both relationship formation and conflict management. Conclusion: This study has both academic and practical significance, as it confirmed a positive mechanism through which beauty management behaviors enhance self-esteem, thereby contributing to improved interpersonal effectiveness. These findings can serve as a foundation for developing practical support programs to promote the psychological well-being and social adjustment of university students.