Cosmetic Surgery on the Rise in the US

April 5, 2011 -- Led by breast enlargement operations, plastic surgery procedures jumped 9% in 2010 compared to the previous year, according to a study from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS).

ASAPS, which has collected statistics on plastic surgery procedures since 1997, says the total number of procedures done for cosmetic reasons has increased 155% since then.

In 2010, nearly 9.5 million cosmetic surgical and nonsurgical procedures were performed in the U.S. Breast augmentation was the most frequently performed operation.

The most popular nonsurgical procedure was injection of Botulinum Toxin Type A, which includes Botox and Dysport.

“These numbers mirror what we have been hearing across the country this past year,” says Felmont Eaves III, MD, president of the Aesthetic Society. “Patients who put off surgery because of uncertainty in the economy and the job market are coming back for tried and true procedures.”

Eaves says growth in demand isn’t likely to slow down because the recession is easing, and baby boomers and their offspring are turning more to plastic surgery.

The group says in a news release that 1.6 million plastic surgery procedures were performed in 2010. Surgical procedures accounted for 17% of the total, and represented 61% of the cost.

Top Cosmetic Procedures

The top five surgical procedures were:

• Breast augmentation: 318,123
• Liposuction: 289,016
• Eyelid surgery: 152,123
• Abdominoplasty (tummy tucks): 144,929
• Breast reduction: 138,152

Minimally invasive procedures decreased by about 9%, with nearly 8 million procedures in 2010. Nonsurgical procedures accounted for 83% of the total number of procedures, and represented 39% of expenditures.

The top five minimally invasive procedures were:

• Botulinum Toxin Type A: 2,437,165
• Hyaluronic acid: 1,315,121. (Hyaluronic acid is used as a lip filler in plastic surgery.)
• Laser hair removal: 936,270.
• Laser skin resurfacing: 562,706.
• Chemical peel: 493,896.

Cosmetic Procedures: Men vs. Women

According to the report, women had nearly 8.6 million cosmetic procedures, making up 92% of the total. Cosmetic surgery procedures for women increased 164% since 1997.

Men had more than 750,000 cosmetic procedures performed, or 8% of the total, and an increase of 88% compared to 1997.

The top five surgical procedures for men were:

• liposuction
• rhinoplasty (nose surgery)
• eyelid surgery
• breast reduction
• cosmetic ear surgery

In 2010, Americans spent almost $10.7 billion on cosmetic procedures. That breaks down to $6.6 billion on surgical procedures, $1.9 billion on injectable procedures, $1.8 billion on skin rejuvenation procedures, and about $500 million on other nonsurgical treatments such as laser hair removal and laser treatment of leg veins.

The report is based on 938 responses to questionnaires sent to 22,000 board-certified doctors, including 5,500 plastic surgeons, 8,500 dermatologists, and 8,000 otolaryngologists (ear, nose, and throat doctors).