Why Has Plastic Surgery Increased?

Since records were first collected by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery in 1997, cosmetic procedures have increased by 162%. The most common cosmetic surgical procedure is breast augmentation, then liposuction and eyelid surgery. When it comes to non-invasive procedures, Botox Cosmetic came in the clear leader. Laser hair removal was a distant second, with about half as many laser hair removal procedures as Botox procedures. Since 1997, women accounted for 92% of all cosmetic surgery procedures.

Cosmetic surgery has gone up in popularity partly because of the belief that having cosmetic surgery will have a positive impact on self esteem. But in addition to the increased societal acceptance of surgically enhanced beauty, three of the main reasons for rising rates of plastic surgery are improvement in surgical techniques, the arrival of non-invasive alternatives, and an increase in cosmetic procedures by the Latino community by 18%.

Surgical techniques continue to be refined and perfected so that healing times are reduced and results are better. In 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made silicone breast implants legal again for everyone, whereas for the preceding 14 years they had only been used in very limited situations such as reconstructive surgery for mastectomy patients. This has led to more breast enhancement procedures since 2006.

The number of minimally invasive procedures offered has increased dramatically since 1997. In addition to collagen injections, which have long been used to plump lips, Botox injection, and biologically compatible wrinkle fillers like Restylane and Juvederm have come on the market. Surgeons have greatly expanded their "off-label" uses of Botox and fillers to be able to achieve sometimes dramatic results without ever wielding a scalpel.

The increased number of Latinos seeking cosmetic procedures can be attributed to a number of factors. An increasing standard of living coupled with the increase in minimally-invasive techniques has put these procedures in an affordable price range for many more people than a decade ago. Cosmetic surgeons have also made advances in treatments that are specific to different ethnic skin types so as to minimize problems and maximize improvement.

Even with the widespread financial difficulties that resulted from the 2008 economic meltdown, interest in cosmetic procedures has intensified by every demographic group (excepting a 2% drop in procedures in 2008 from caucasians), particularly in Latinos. Cosmetic surgery has become accepted as a viable alternative to putting up with age-related changes and as a legitimate choice for people who are unhappy with specific parts of their body.

By: Leonard Dawson

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Leonard Dawson is a freelance article writer who writes for Cosmetic Surgery Guru about current issues, technology and news within the cosmetic surgery market.