New Statistics Show Rises in Cosmetic Procedures Over 2012

New statistics released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons show that cosmetic surgery rose about five percent during 2012. Non-surgical procedures showed the most growth, with Botox and microdermabrasion showing the biggest increases.

According to the ASPS, there were 14.6 million cosmetic procedures in 2012, as well as 5.6 million reconstructive procedures. This represents the third year in a row with similar growth patterns, signifying that these numbers may be representative of a larger overall pattern.

Increases in Facelifts, Botox, Other Non-Surgical Procedures

According to ASPS President Gregory Evans, MD, “For the third consecutive year, the overall growth in cosmetic surgery continues to be driven by a significant rise in minimally-invasive procedures, while surgical procedures remain relatively stable.”

Botox Cosmetic injections were clearly the most popular procedure in 2012, with more than 6 million performed, three times as many as the second-most popular procedure, which was soft tissue fillers. Botox enjoyed an 8% increase, and dermal fillers had a 5% increase. The other most popular non-surgical procedures were chemical peels, laser hair removal, and microdermabrasion, all of which saw moderate growth.

The most popular cosmetic procedure of 2012 was breast augmentation, closely followed by rhinoplasty and facelifts. Other cosmetic surgical procedures in the top five were eyelid surgeries and face lifts, both of which experienced moderate growth in 2012.

The rapid growth in non-surgical procedures may be attributed to the constant improvement of these procedures in recent years, which have made them more effective, less expensive, and with a decreased recovery period. Greater overall acceptance of cosmetic procedures has led new patients to give them a try, and many begin with these non-surgical procedures before deciding to have long-term options such as rhinoplasty or a facelift.

Image by Spirit-Fire on Flickr.