Women in the study who underwent facial rejuvenation — a term used to describe procedures that involve face, upper and lower eye, brow and neck lifts and chin implants — were rated more positively by strangers on several personality traits, the researchers said.

It’s not clear exactly which aspects of the surgical procedures contributed most to the positive ratings, said study co-author Dr. Michael Reilly, a reconstructive and facial plastic surgeon at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C. [7 Plastic Surgery Myths Revealed]

The findings have interesting implications for researchers studying facial perception, Reilly said. For instance, studies show that wider-set eyes lend a face an air of trustworthiness, while upturned lips convey friendliness and extroversion, and the new findings suggest that doctors “can surgically create those results as well,” Reilly told Live Science.