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2008 Plastic Surgery Statistics

In the U.S., trends in cosmetic surgery procedures and their popularity can change rapidly and unexpectedly. One of the leading organizations that track these changes is the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), a highly respected resource for cosmetic surgery research, expertise and education. In the ASAPS' newly released statistics for 2008, we find some interesting changes, such as liposuction's fall from the #1 spot in the top 5 most popular cosmetic surgery procedures.

How Do We Really Feel About Cosmetic Surgery?

As our culture becomes more accustomed to plastic surgery as a novelty or a necessity, general acceptance concerning its appropriateness or popularity increases, right? Well, not quite. According to a recent survey by the ASAPS, 20% of men and women are "more favorable" to cosmetic surgery than they were five years ago, and 7% said they were "less favorable" now than they were before. However, a hefty 73% of the study's participants said their stance hasn't changed from what it was 5 years ago. While the number of individuals who would consider having cosmetic surgery has increased to 30%, the overall number of people who approve of plastic surgery hasn't significantly changed.

That being said, the same survey stated that 56%, or "more than half of all Americans approve of cosmetic plastic surgery". This survey and the ASAPS 2008 statistics also mention that women undergo cosmetic surgery more than men do (men accounted for only 8% of total cosmetic procedures performed in 2008).

Also worth pointing out is that, although ASPS noted a positive increase in the general opinion of plastic surgery, the percentages of total cosmetic procedures performed in '08, both surgical and non-surgical, actually decreased from 2007. This decrease in procedures performed, by 11% for women and by 21% for men, is most likely a result of the ongoing recession. There was a recorded decrease for both surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures.

What Are The Most Popular Cosmetic Surgery Procedures?

As previously stated, liposuction, formerly the top cosmetic procedure in the U.S., has dropped in rank. The ASAPS first began conducting their yearly studies in 1997, and liposuction has reigned every year since then. Now, the new ASAPS study shows that breast augmentation has knocked liposuction down to second place and grabbed the number one spot. The ASAPS recorded that over 350,000 breast augmentation procedures were performed in 2008. Liposuction ranked second, with 341,144 procedures performed in 2008. The third most popular cosmetic surgery procedure last year was blepharoplasty eyelid surgery, followed by rhinoplasty in fourth, and abdominoplasty, or tummy tucks, ranked fifth.

When separating the ASAPS procedure rankings by men and women, we see that liposuction is still holding strong for both genders. The top five cosmetic surgery procedures for men and women are ranked as such by the ASAPS:

Top five plastic surgery procedures for women

Breast augmentation
Lipoplasty (liposuction)
Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty)
Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck)
Breast reduction

Top five plastic surgery procedures for men

Liposuction
Rhinoplasty (nose job)
Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty)
Gynecomastia (male breast reduction)
Hair transplantation

Why The Peak In Breast Enhancement?

The reason for the surge in breast augmentation procedures is hard to pinpoint. Some might say it is a reasonable progression given our culture's growing awareness and acceptance of cosmetic surgery as a whole. The increased media attention given to breast augmentation through plastic surgery shows, reality t.v., and celebrity plastic surgery news could have also contributed to the jump.

Additionally, people might be feeling more comfortable undergoing breast augmentation now that it's endured in the industry for several years, and it's displaying continuous improvements in terms of methods and safety. For instance, new research helped bolster the recent comeback of silicone implants; even though they were strictly labeled unsafe at one time.

No matter your reasoning, if you choose to undergo breast augmentation surgery, it's necessary that you research the surgery in depth and consult with a licensed and certified plastic surgeon before proceeding.