Call it an obsession, an infatuation, or just a way to spend discretionary income – Americans are spending a lot of money on plastic surgery. A new study shows the United States tops the world in spending on cosmetic procedures, and most experts don’t see that trend coming to an end anytime soon.
United States = Plastic Surgery
When it comes to plastic surgery, Americans can’t seem to get enough. Last year in the United States, there were more than four million cosmetic procedures, making it the top ranked country for plastic surgery, according to The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons. The US easily grabbed the top spot, followed by Brazil, Japan, Italy and Mexico. In this country, consumers spent about 16 billion dollars to look good and feel better about themselves.
“It doesn’t surprise me at all,” says Dr. Stephan Finical. Finical, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Charlotte, North Carolina, is seeing a steady demand in his own practice and doesn’t anticipate that will change. “We are a wealthy country, and we are youth-driven and competitive. I expect this is a trend that will continue.”
What’s Popular, Where?
Liposuction and breast augmentation are two of the most popular cosmetic procedures not only in the United States, but around the world. Last year there were more than 1.5 million liposuction procedures around the globe, with about 414,000 of those performed in the United States.
Besides the top procedures, there’s something for everyone in plastic surgery. Experts say that’s part of what is driving the numbers higher. Some of the increases seen for “newer” procedures:
- Fat transfer to the breast, +41%
- Labiaplasty (vaginal rejuvenation), +23%
- Buttock Lift, +21%
- Fat Transfer to the Face, +17%
“We’re seeing young patients for your fillers and older patients are concerned about neck, face and body, along with vaginal rejuvenation,” says Dr. Christine Hamori. Hamori is a board-certified plastic surgeon in Boston and is a little surprised to see the US top Brazil in plastic surgery, where there’s a huge focus on looking good.
Hamori explains that in the US, plastic surgery is seen as something that is productive for a variety of age groups, including surgical and non-surgical procedures. The numbers mirror this observation, as 44% of the 16 billion spent by Americans was in the form of non-surgical procedures. This is a marked increase that shows non-surgical and non-invasive procedures are here to stay, and then some.
“I think the reason it’s so popular here is because in places like Brazil, it’s so focused on just the body,” shares Hamori. “I think in the United States we are focused on body and skin and that’s why the numbers are going up.”
Most experts predict steady increases in the future, thanks to a rocketing American economic landscape and the vast wealth of patient feedback, reviews, and procedural knowledge available on the internet. Additionally, technology continues to improve and new devices are in the pipeline to create further depth of results to non-surgical procedures, while improving tried-and-true surgical techniques as well.
All in all, plastic surgery is on the up and up with no signs of slowing.