11.9 million cosmetic procedures in 2004
American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reports 44% increase
Feb 17, 2005
American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS)
The number of surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic procedures in the United States increased by 44% in 2004 to a total of nearly 11.9 million, according to statistics released today by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS). The number of surgical procedures increased 17% and the number of nonsurgical procedures increased 51% from the previous year. The most frequently performed procedure was Botox injection and the most popular surgical procedure was liposuction. ASAPS, a national not-for-profit organization for education and research in cosmetic plastic surgery, annually conducts the nation's most authoritative survey of U.S. physicians performing cosmetic procedures.
"I believe at least some of this upward trend may be attributable to increased media coverage of plastic surgery in 2004," says ASAPS President Peter Fodor, M.D., of Los Angeles. "People have had many more opportunities to see, first hand, what plastic surgery is like and what it can do for others. That can be a strong incentive for them to seek the same benefits by having cosmetic procedures themselves."
Trends and Demographic Data
Top Procedures
Top surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic procedures among all Americans in 2004:
| Cosmetic Surgical | No. of Procedures | Cosmetic Nonsurgical | No. of Procedures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liposuction | 478,251 | Botox | 2,837,346 |
| Breast Augmentation | 334,052 | Laser Hair Removal | 1,411,899 |
| Eyelid Surgery | 290,343 | Chemical peel | 1,110,401 |
| Rhinoplasty | 166,187 | Microdermabrasion | 1,098,316 |
| Facelift | 157,061 | Hyaluronic Acid (Hylaform, Restylane) | 882,469 |
Procedures for Women
Top cosmetic procedures for women:
| Cosmetic Surgical | No. of Procedures | Cosmetic Nonsurgical | No. of Procedures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liposuction | 416,614 | Botox | 2,525,430 |
| Breast Augmentation | 334,052 | Laser Hair Removal | 1,215,052 |
| Eyelid Surgery | 249,293 | Microdermabrasion | 999,095 |
| Tummy Tuck | 145,315 | Chemical Peel | 977,277 |
| Facelift | 145,240 | Hyaluronic Acid (Hylaform, Restylane) | 838,917 |
Women had 90% of cosmetic procedures. The number of procedures (surgical and nonsurgical) performed on women was nearly 10.7 million, an increase of 49% from the previous year. Surgical procedures increased 21%; nonsurgical procedures increased 57%.
Procedures for Men
Top cosmetic procedures for men:
| Cosmetic Surgical | No. of Procedures | Cosmetic Nonsurgical | No. of Procedures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liposuction | 61,638 | Botox Injection | 311,916 |
| Eyelid Surgery | 41,050 | Laser Hair Removal | 196,847 |
| Rhinoplasty | 38,989 | Chemical Peel | 133,124 |
| Male Breast Reduction | 19,636 | Microdermabrasion | 99,221 |
| Hair Transplantation | 19,503 | Laser Skin Resurfacing | 69,427 |
Men had 10% of cosmetic procedures. The number of procedures (surgical and nonsurgical) performed on men was nearly 1.2 million, an increase of 8% from the previous year. Surgical procedures decreased 11%; nonsurgical procedures increased 15%.
Procedures by Age Group
Frequency of cosmetic procedures by age group:
| Age | Percentage of Total | No. of Procedures | Top Surgical Procedure | Top Nonsurgical Procedure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 - 50 | 45% | 5.3 million | Liposuction | Botox |
| 51 - 64 | 25% | 2.9 million | Eyelid Surgery | Botox |
| 19 - 34 | 22% | 2.6 million | Liposuction | Laser Hair Removal |
| 65 and over | 6% | 749,607 | Eyelid Surgery | Botox |
| 18 and under | 2% | 240,682 | Rhinoplasty | Laser Hair Removal |
Racial and Ethnic Distribution
Racial and ethnic minorities accounted for 20% of all cosmetic procedures in 2004. Hispanics again led minority racial and ethnic groups in the number of procedures: Hispanics 8.5%, African-Americans 6.2%, Asians 4.6% and other non-Caucasians 1.1%.
Gender
American men had nearly 1.2 million cosmetic surgical and nonsurgical procedures in 2004, 10% of the 11.9 million cosmetic procedures performed in the U.S. last year. According to ASAPS, the number of cosmetic procedures performed on men has increased 306% from 1997 to 2004. Compared to last year, the number of procedures for men increased by 8%. The overall increase was attributable to men's growing interest in nonsurgical cosmetic procedures. Nonsurgical procedures increased by 15%, while surgical procedures decreased by 11%.
Teenage Breast Augmentation
The number of breast enlargements for women age 18 and under decreased 63% in 2004 compared with the previous year, in 2003 there were 11,326 breast enlargement procedures on women 18 and under, representing 4% of the total number of breast augmentations; in 2004 there were 4,211 procedures, just over 1% of the total. ASAPS data also show that, in 2004, 60% of breast implant procedures performed on women 18 and under were for breast abnormalities including Poland's syndrome (congenital absent breast), severe breast asymmetry, congenital micromastia (severe underdevelopment of the breast) and tubular breast. In treating these conditions, implants may be inserted in one or both breasts. 40%, or an estimated 1,684 procedures, were for purely cosmetic augmentation of both breasts.
Location and Fees
Just over 46.4% of cosmetic procedures in 2004 were performed in office-based facilities, 29.1% in freestanding surgicenters and 24.4% in hospitals. Americans spent just under $12.5 billion on cosmetic procedures: $7.7 billion was for surgical procedures and $4.7 billion was for nonsurgical procedures.
ASAPS Cosmetic Surgery National Data Bank
ASAPS, working with an independent research firm, compiled 8-year data for procedures performed 1997-2004 by multiple specialists, including but not limited to plastic surgeons certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. More than 14,000 questionnaires were mailed nationwide, and results of the survey were used to project national data. The survey data has a standard error of +/- 3.63% at a 95% level of confidence.