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2009 Plastic Surgery Statistics

The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), whose 2500+ members are all board-certified plastic surgeons, is a national authority on plastic surgery and cosmetic enhancement. Founded in 1967, the ASAPS has been gathering annual plastic surgery statistics on multiple procedures and patient demographics since 1997. In their recently released 2009 plastic surgery statistics, the ASAPS revealed some interesting findings and new trends!

Top 10 Cosmetic Surgery Procedures of 2009

First off, we'll list ASAPS' top-ranked cosmetic procedures for 2009. In 2008, breast augmentation replaced liposuction as the #1 plastic surgery procedure performed in the U.S. In 2009, breast augmentation held onto its title. The complete top ten are as follows, accompanied by total number of procedures performed for each:

1) Breast Augmentation – 311,957

2) Liposuction – 283,735

3) Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty) – 149,943

4) Rhinoplasty – 138,258

5) Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) – 127,923

6) Breast Reduction (not including male breast reduction) – 113,511

7) Breast Lift – 98,279

8) Facelift – 94,247

9) Forehead Lift – 30,789

10) Otoplasty (Cosmetic Ear Surgery) – 21,817

The ranking of the top 5 cosmetic surgery procedures hasn't changed much in recent years, but the amount of procedures being performed has. Keep reading to learn which cosmetic procedures rose and fell in popularity from 2008-2009!

Plastic Surgery Trends from 2008-2009

Economy woes ding cosmetic industry

It doesn't come as a surprise that plastic surgery demand dropped slightly during last year's economic crisis. Retail and beauty markets across the board took a sizable hit as consumers responded to financial concerns by cutting back on luxury expenses like plastic surgery.

According to the ASAPS '09 statistics, overall cosmetic procedure demand dropped by 2.4% from 2008-2009. However, Americans still underwent roughly 10 million cosmetic procedures in 2009, both surgical and non-surgical—cosmetic surgery cost decreases in '09 were likely an added incentive there. And since 1997, when the ASAPS first started compiling cosmetic surgery statistics, the overall number of annual procedures performed has increased by 146.7%! So in spite of the dip, it seems clear that cosmetic enhancement isn't going out of style any time soon.

Cosmetic surgery procedures fell

With the exception of buttock augmentation and buttock lifts, all major plastic surgery procedures were down in 2009.

The biggest procedure drops from 2008 were seen in forehead lifts (-30.7%), facelifts (-28.9%), surgical lip augmentation (-29.4%), and chin augmentation (-28.7%).

Some industry figureheads feel this drop is directly related to the economic crisis, and that patients responded to their financial uncertainty by putting off plastic surgery, or by turning to more affordable non-surgical procedures. From that angle, it seems like no coincidence that certain facial cosmetic surgery procedures dropped the most in 2009; those procedures targeted the same facial conditions that many non-surgical treatments were also prescribed for.

However, plastic surgery is expected to bounce back as the economic climate becomes more secure. Dr. Renato Saltz, ASAPS president, recently expressed confidence in cosmetic surgery's ability to rebound in the coming years. "Growth in demand will likely return as the recession eases and baby boomer's offspring begin to explore surgical options."

Non-surgical procedures experience boost

In terms of non-surgical procedure growth, the most popular treatments were in the form of anti-aging injectables and laser treatments. At the top of the non-surgical list is Botulinum toxin type A (Botox and Dysport), followed by hyaluronic acid fillers (Restylane, Juvederm, Perlane and Hylaform), and then by laser hair removal.

Since most non-surgical procedures cost less per treatment, and often require less recovery time, it makes sense why the non-surgical cosmetic segment was less affected by the economy than the surgical segment was. Patients were trying to save money where they could, and many were reluctant to take off the recovery time they needed from work post surgery.

For cosmetic patients, the possible downsides of non-surgical treatments over plastic surgery could include higher long-term procedure costs, and temporary, inconsistent results. Non-surgical injectables and laser treatments also tend to exhibit more variation among treatment formulas and technologies from clinic to clinic, not to mention off-label treatment uses for injectables and lasers are quite common. These factors could create reliability issues where results are concerned, and may outweigh the benefits of cost savings for some patients.

What The 2009 Cosmetic Surgery Statistics Mean for You

It's a fact that reading about plastic surgery statistics won't tell you which cosmetic procedure is right for you—that determination is best left to a local board-certified plastic surgeon. However, it can be helpful to stay abreast of plastic surgery industry changes and the latest plastic surgery cost info! Even if the top procedures don't display your main cosmetic interests, it can give you insight into the changing trends, and keep you mindful of the options available to you!