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Your Results Are In ... Trends in 2001
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Yes, the survey results have been tallied and the latest trends in facial plastic surgery are out! Read on to find out what, who, when, and why of facial plastic surgery.
What procedures are you having? Blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) and rhinoplasty (nose surgery) were cited as the top surgical procedures. The most popular non-surgical procedures were Botox injections, microdermabrasion, and chemical peels.
What procedure is causing throngs in the waiting room? Botox injections, used to reduce wrinkling, has increased by 60 percent. This trend is likely to continue rising, as Botox recently won FDA approval in April to be marketed directly to consumers to treat wrinkles. Botox is popular due to the minimal risk, immediate results, and reasonable cost.
Who is having surgery at exponentially increasing numbers? In comparing 1999 to 2001, the number of surgeries among Asian- Americans has increased 340 percent; the number of surgeries among African-Americans has increased 323 percent; an increase in surgeries of 200 percent among Hispanics; and 34 percent increase among Caucasians. The trend among the minority groups is to embrace their ethnicity and enhance it.
"America's single standard of beauty has been replaced by images of beauty within each minority group that makes up this country," states Shan R. Baker, MD, president of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. |
"Patients want to look their best, but within their own ethnic group." Dr. Baker states that there are three factors tied to this increased rate of acceptance of facial plastic surgery among minorities:
(1) a growing middle class has created more expendable income for elective surgery; (2) medical advances have greatly reduced the risk of scarring, known as keloids, among dark skinned patients; and (3) the media has helped raise awareness that a single standard of beauty no longer exists in multi-ethnic America.
When are you scheduling that surgery? Whereas facelift, blepharoplasty, and resurfacing procedures may be easily performed in any season, the survey reveals that a slightly greater number of these procedures are performed in the winter months. This is primarily for convenience and time availability. Rhinoplasty and ear surgery in children are most commonly performed in the summer or during a vacation.
Why are you having surgery? One of the most popular reasons stated for having surgery was to look younger; stated by 50 percent of women and 40 percent of men. The results reflected that men were more likely than women (30 percent versus 14 percent respectively) to claim that they wanted facial plastic surgery for work related reasons.
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