Best thing I've ever read on this topic is Psycho Cybernetics by Dr. Maxwell Maltz. Originally written in 1960 (later updated) Maltz, a plastic surgeon, noticed that with some patients the smallest bit of cosmetic surgery radically improved their lives, while with others a complete transformation of their looks did nothing. Some even swore they saw no change in their appearance. Maltz goes on to explore why this may be so and the results are fascinating.
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I seem to remember reading the book he wrote (or on the same topic), he was saying that self-esteem was more important.
Yes, he goes into a lot of details and ideas to help with that, but that's basically it - that good self-esteem and overall happiness are an inside job.