A study conducted by Yale, the first of its kind, seems to indicate that reality television programs focusing on cosmetic procedures do effect the decision-making process of individuals contemplating such work for themselves.

The study polled 42 patients seeking their first consultation at the university’s plastic surgery clinic to investigate if television programs like “Dr. 90210” and “Extreme Makeover” influenced their decision and choices.

Of patients with an average age of 36 years, 57 percent said they routinely view one or more reality programs with just 12 percent saying they had never seen one of the series.

The frequent viewing population identified the shows as a significant factor in their personal decision to seek a consultation and those individuals did have a greater degree of knowledge about the procedures than those who did not watch the reality programs.

Of the frequent viewers, 75 percent were Hispanic, 70 percent were African-Americans, and 36 percent were Caucasian. The majority of individuals interviewed were female. Since the programs rarely discuss the costs involved in undergoing cosmetic procedures, all participants were found to be lacking in knowledge in that area.

Although the study was too small to conclusively determine a link between viewing reality television programs about cosmetic procedures and actually undergoing such work, the result are suggestive of the need for further research into the matter.