Rhinoplasty and the ‘Big Five’ Model: The Impact of Patients’ Personality Traits on Post-surgical Satisfaction Outcomes

Background: The nose plays a central role in facial aesthetics and perceptions of beauty. While personality influences the quality of life and self-perception, its effect on post-rhinoplasty satisfaction remains underexplored. This study investigates the relationship between personality traits and satisfaction with rhinoplasty outcomes. Methods: A comparative analysis was conducted between rhinoplasty patients and the general population, assessing personality traits and nasal perceptions using the Rhinoplasty Health Inventory and Nasal Outcomes (RHINO) scale pre and post-surgery, along with the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) for personality structure profiling based on the Big Five model. Results: A total of 117 rhinoplasty patients and 95 controls participated. Rhinoplasty patients, especially females, showed lower neuroticism and agreeableness but higher conscientiousness than controls. Female rhinoplasty patients had reduced negative affect and self-reproach, while males exhibited lower positive affect relative to controls. RHINO scale scores indicated post-surgery improvement in all aesthetic and functional domains. As for the relationship between personality traits and rhinoplasty satisfaction scores, significant correlations emerged between neuroticism and aesthetic satisfaction, while conscientiousness showed an inverse association with satisfaction among females. Conclusion: These findings suggest distinct personality patterns among rhinoplasty candidates compared to the general population, with specific traits linked to postoperative satisfaction. We recommend using the NEO-FFI as a preoperative screening tool to identify patients at risk of dissatisfaction and encourage further research across diverse populations to validate these findings. Level of Evidence III: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.