AAFPRS poll reveals major rise in cosmetic procedures

Alexandria, Va. - There has been a 69 percent increase in the number of women and a 91 increase in the number of men having nonsurgical facial plastic surgery since 2000, the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) reports in its annual membership survey.

The results are based on a survey of 1,336 AAFPRS member surgeons.

“We’re seeing that minimally invasive-type treatments that offer patients less downtime are increasing in popularity,” said AAFPRS President Peter Hilger, M.D., in a prepared statement. “The trend toward noninvasive cosmetic procedures has allowed more Americans to get the look they want without having to turn their busy lifestyles upside down.”

The study also reveals that 86 percent of doctors polled said they believe patients are more educated about facial plastic surgery than in the past. According to the AAFPRS, educating patients is becoming one of the key roles of facial plastic surgeons because patients then feel they are taking a big part - and thus feel more confident - in their decision to undergo facial plastic surgery.

Other results include:

•The increase in cosmetic surgical procedures overall since 2005 is mainly attributable to an increase in male participation, which in 2006 rose 59 percent.

•In 2006, the most common procedure among male patients was microdermabrasion, followed by Botox injections, hair transplants and chemical peels.

•Women continue to be the most likely candidates for facial plastic surgery: 77 percent of all surgical procedures and 81 percent of nonsurgical procedures were performed on women last year.

•The most common cosmetic surgical procedures undergone by women in 2006 were, in order, blepharoplasty, rhytidectomy/rhytidoplasty, lip augmentations, rhinoplasty and ablative skin resurfacing. The most common nonsurgical cosmetic procedures were Botox injections, microdermabrasion, chemical peels and hyaluronic acid injections.

The survey also revealed that the number of African Americans undergoing cosmetic surgery has increased 77 percent since 1999, while the increase among Hispanics was 56 percent and among Asian Americans, 60 percent. African Americans (62 percent) and Hispanics (53 percent) were most likely to undergo rhinoplasty; Asian-Americans were most likely to undergo blepharoplasty (44 percent); and Caucasians opted almost equally for blepharoplasty and rhinoplasty (32 percent and 29 percent, respectively).