Plastic Surgery Procedures Rise in 2011

For the second straight year, the number of plastic surgery patients increased in 2011, according to data released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. 

A total of 13.8 million plastic surgeries were performed in 2011, an increase of 5 percent from the previous year.  Meanwhile, ASPS has attributed the growing demand for such procedures to the strong consumer confidence.

Breast augmentation still remained the most popular cosmetic plastic surgery, with 307,000 procedures conducted in 2011 or jumping by 4 percent from the previous year.  However, facelift surgery made it to the top five for the first time since 2004 due to the aging baby boomers.

Over the past couple of years, facelift has been one of the most commonly performed cosmetic surgery, a trend which is attributed to the fact that more workers are postponing their retirements in addition to the growing number of seniors.

The second most popular procedure was rhinoplasty or more commonly referred to as “nose job,” followed by liposuction, eyelid lift, and facelift.

While the surgical cosmetic procedures have increased by 2 percent from the previous year, the growth of the market has been primarily driven by minimally invasive procedures which increased by 6 percent to about 12.2 million procedures.

Examples of minimally invasive procedures include dermalfillers, Botox injection, laser skin resurfacing, laser hair removal, chemicalpeels, and microdermabrasion.

Botox has remained the most commonly performed minimally invasive procedure, with about 5.7 million procedures last year, increasing by 5 percent from 2010.  This treatment uses a small dose of toxin that paralyzes the facial muscles to prevent them from moving too much, thereby minimizing the appearance of wrinkles.

Dermal filler like (brands) Restylane, Juvederm, Radiesse, and even natural fats grafted from the patient’s own body has also been one of the most commonly used minimally invasive facial rejuvenation treatments.  These are used to correct the gaunt appearance and “fill in” the creases caused by the loss of facial volume.

Meanwhile, the number of reconstructive plastic surgery has also increased 5 percent in 2011.  This is often covered by health insurance because unlike the cosmetic procedure, this is performed to improve body functions and correct severe abnormalities and defects.

The top five reconstructive plastic surgeries in 2011 were tumor removal, laceration repair, maxillofacial surgery, scar revision, and hand surgery.

While breast reconstruction was not included in the top five reconstructive surgeries, it continues to rise, with more than 96,000 procedures performed in 2011 or jumping by 3 percent from the previous year.

More Women Seek Butt Augmentation

Every couple of years, the trend in cosmetic plastic surgery changes based on the “current celebrity idol.”  For instance, the Paris Hilton look, which was all about having a slim body and limited curves, used to be the “in thing” during the early 2000s that liposuction at the time was popular.

In fact, Los Angeles plastic surgeon Dr. Tarick Smaili has seen some thin patients asking for liposuction even there was no excess fat to remove.

“Of course I have to decline such patients who want to go extreme.  My priority is not only improving their appearance but also their safety,” Smaili said.

But the ultra-thin look has been bumped off by another trend: more curves, particularly large hips and buttocks.  It all started when celebrities endowed with a large derriere such as Kim Kardashian, Beyonce Knowles, and Jennifer Lopez stole the limelight.

Figures from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery show that US adults spent about $31 million on buttock enhancement surgeries in 2010, increasing by 40 percent from the previous year.  Meanwhile, the procedure’s growing popular is expected to continue in the next coming years as curvy celebrities remain the media’s darling.

Butt enhancement is performed either through implant surgery—the same technique applied in breast augmentation—or fat grafting in which a patient’s own fatty tissues from other parts of her body are used.

But unlike in breast augmentation, butt implant surgery does not pose any risk of rupture because it uses solid silicone implant, which is supposed to last a lifetime.  However, patients should accept the fact that just like any surgery, there is always the chance of needing revisions in the future due to certain factors.

Just like butt implant surgery, fat grafting can also augment the backside, though instead of using synthetic devices, it uses a patient’s own fat from abdomen, thighs, or other areas abundant with this tissue to enhance her derriere.  And because it does not introduce foreign material, there is almost no risk of rejection.

However, the result of fat grafting is somewhat unpredictable because some of the fats are reabsorbed by the body.  In most cases, the acceptable survival rate is 60 percent of the transferred fats, and those which remain a year after the procedure will likely last a lifetime.

Patients should remember that both techniques in buttock augmentation have their limits.  For instance, implant surgery can only augment the upper part of the butt while the result of fat grafting depends on the absorption rate and amount of excess fats in the body.

Joan Rivers and Her Undying Passion for Plastic Surgery

During the premiere of the season two of the reality TV show Joan & Melissa: Joan knows best?, Joan Rivers underwent her 734^th cosmetic procedure.  This is something of a surprise as while everyone knows that she had a passion for plastic surgery, this is the first time she revealed the real number.

During the show, even River’s plastic surgeon Norman Leaf was surprised when she showed up for consultation; this was probably because the TV personality has too much done on her face that it looks as if it was blown by a strong gust of wind.

Despite the overdone appearance, River seems to crave cosmetic plastic surgery as years go by.  Unfortunately, her seemingly unhealthy obsession with the procedure resulted to a windswept appearance and squinty eyes.

Because of too much work done on River’s face, even her daughter Melissa and some of her colleagues beg her to stop having cosmetic procedures.  However, the dissuasion ended when she offered them to pay all their aesthetic treatments.

In a previous interview, the 78-year-old TV personality was quoted saying, “My body is my temple, and my temple needs redecorating.”

Leading cosmetic surgeon Dr. Tarick Smaili, who did not treat Rivers, said that she have had too many procedures, including facelift surgery, that resulted to the unnatural appearance.

“Facelift surgery, because it cannot stop the aging process, still needs some revisions after 10 years or so.  However, repeating the procedure should be carefully done as the skin becomes thinner as people age,” Smaili said.

The cosmetic surgeon said the disadvantage of repeating facelift surgery more than twice is the higher risk of losing the “fundamental” shape of the face, resulting to an unnatural look.

“Also, pulling the skin over and over again can result to the squinty eyes or fish eyes.  That look is very unflattering so plastic surgeons have to be extra careful when doing revisions,” he added.

Smaili said that while the number of facelift surgery performed on a patient should be limited, this is not the case for soft tissue fillers and most injectable treatments designed to remove or minimize the signs of aging.

“Soft tissue fillers like Juvederm and Restylane should be performed every six months to two years, depending on the absorption rate of the body and treated areas.  Botox should also be repeated every couple of months in order to maintain the youthful appearance,” Smaili added.

23% of US Adults Consider Plastic Surgery If Money Is Not an Is Issue

It seems like more and more Americans are considering going under the knife if only money is not an issue.  According to a recent study released by CouponCabin.com, about 23 percent of adults said they would like to have cosmetic procedure if the costs were lower.

The study, which involved 2,500 respondents, revealed that women are still more eager to have some nip and tucks than men; however, it does not mean that male patients are quite rare in cosmetic plastic surgery.  In fact, they accounted for about 10 percent of all cosmetic surgeries in the US.

According to the finding, 28 percent of female respondents said they would consider cosmetic surgery, while 18 percent men favored the procedure.  Meanwhile, the study was conducted between January 5 and 9 on US adults aged 18 years and older.

In addition, 9 percent of women aged between 18 and 44 said they have used online coupon to enjoy discounts on cosmetic procedures such as Botox injection, laser skin resurfacing, and other non-invasive treatments.  On the other hand, about 22 percent of respondents who have not used “daily deal” said they would consider using it.

About 31 percent of women between 18 and 44 years old said they would consider online coupon to enjoy discounts of cosmetic procedures compared to 23 percent of men in the same age bracket.

While non-invasive procedures are usually offered by online companies that promote discounts vouchers, surgical treatments such as breast augmentation and face lift are quite rare.  However, it did not stop Groupon from offering up to 50 percent discounts on aesthetic surgeries.

But in November 2011, the popular online company has been accused of being irresponsible as it seemed to pressure consumers to buy vouchers for a limited time period.  According to Advertising Standards Authority, the practice clearly violated a provision by the British Association for Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) prohibiting cosmetic doctors from offering “date-linked” incentives.

While people have different views on plastic surgery, it is important to remember that the procedure is a serious decision to make; in fact, any ethical doctor would require a lengthy consultation to determine if a patient is qualified or not to receive a certain procedure.

A qualified patient should be physically healthy, emotionally mature, and well-rounded individual who can understand the ramifications of plastic surgery, including not just the benefits but also the potential risks.  It is also important that he or she has realistic goals and expectations with a certain procedure.