The recent approval by the FDA of silicone breast implants, and the overall improvement of the safety and efficacy of nonsurgical procedures are combining to result in a rapid increase in the numbers of people seeking enhancement by board-certified plastic surgeons.
This, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) which has been compiling statistics on the use of cosmetic surgery and non-surgical treatments since 1997. The decade's worth of data was gleaned from over 14,000 questionnaires mailed to board-certified plastic surgeons and other care providers across the U.S.
Botox injections top the list of frequently performed procedures, while liposuction is the most popular surgery. Silicone breast implants are up 18 percent from 2005.
Women, by far, have the most cosmetic procedures performed -- 92 percent. In 2006 alone, there were over 10.5 million surgical and non-surg procedures performed on women, while only 1 million were on men.
Since 1997, surgeries are up 123 percent, and nonsurgical procedures increased a whopping 749 percent. Nearly half are performed in office-based facilities, with the remaining half split down the middle in either freestanding surgicenters or hospitals.
