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Almost 9.2 million cosmetic procedures performed in 2011, according to cosmetic surgery statistics

American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery celebrates 15 years of trustworthy plastic surgery statistics

March 20, 2012
American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS)

The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) today released its 15th annual multi-specialty procedural statistics. The Aesthetic Society, which has collected plastic surgery procedural statistics since 1997, says almost 9.2 million cosmetic surgical and nonsurgical procedures were performed in the United States in 2011. The most frequently performed surgical procedure was lipoplasty (liposuction), and the most popular nonsurgical procedure was injections of Botulinum Toxin Type A (which includes Botox and Dysport).

The overall number of cosmetic procedures has increased by a whopping 197% since the tracking of the statistics first began in 1997, said the report.

"For 15 years these statistics have been a large part of the Aesthetic Society's public education mission," said Jeffrey M. Kenkel, M.D., President of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. "Since 1997, the interest in and demand for cosmetic plastic surgery has risen exponentially and our comprehensive statistics continue to show that."

Cosmetic surgical procedures increased almost 1% in the past year, with more than 1.6 million procedures in 2011. Surgical procedures accounted for 18% of the total number of procedures performed and represented 63% of total expenditures.

The top 5 surgical procedures were:

  • Liposuction (325,332 procedures in 2011)
  • Breast augmentation (316,848)
  • Abdominoplasty (149,410)
  • Eyelid surgery (147,540)
  • Breast Lift (127,054)

Cosmetic minimally-invasive procedures decreased almost 2%, with more than 7.5 million procedures in 2011. Nonsurgical procedures accounted for 82% of the total number of procedures, representing 37% of total expenditures.

The top 5 minimally-invasive procedures were:

  • Botulinum Toxin Type A (2,619,739 procedures in 2011)
  • Hyaluronic Acid (1,206,186)
  • Laser Hair Removal (919,802)
  • Microdermabrasion (499,427)
  • IPL Laser Treatment (439,161)

For the first time, the survey asked the doctors for the total number of non-surgical procedures performed by both physicians and their physician assistants and nurse injectors.

Total number of procedures performed in the practices surveyed:

  • Botulinum Toxin Type A (4,030,318 procedures)
  • Hyaluronic Acid (1,662,480)
  • Laser Hair Removal (1,452,880)
  • Microdermabrasion (794,357)
  • IPL Laser Treatment (726,125)

"Growth in demand will likely coninue to grow as baby boomers and their offspring begin to explore surgical options," said Dr. Kenkel. "Minimally-invasive procedures such as Botox and soft tissue fillers work to a point. However, as you age and gravity takes over, surgical procedures that lift the skin and reshape the underlying tissues are necessary in order to show significant improvement."

Women had almost 8.4 million cosmetic procedures, 91% of the total. The number of cosmetic procedures for women increased over 208% from 1997. The top five surgical procedures for women were breast augmentation, liposuction, tummy tuck, eyelid surgery and breast lift.

Men had almost 800,000 cosmetic procedures, 9% of the total. The number of cosmetic procedures for men has increased more than 121% since 1997. The top five surgical procedures for men were liposuction, rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery, male breast reduction and facelift.

Americans spent nearly $10 billion on cosmetic procedures in 2011. Of that total, $6.2 billion was spent on surgical procedures; $1.7 billion was spent on injectable procedures; $1.6 billion was spent on skin rejuvenation procedures; and more than $360 million was spent on other nonsurgical procedures, including laser hair removal and laser treatment of leg veins.