It would appear that elective cosmetic surgery is no longer a luxury indulgence afforded only by the upper class few. A recent report by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons shows that Americans are spending more than ever on plastic surgery. In fact, in 2016, consumers spent more than $16 billion on a combination of surgical and minimally invasive cosmetic procedures, up from the $13.5 billion shelled out in 2015.
Following are some of the top trends plastic surgeons reported during 2016.
Rearranging Fat
Women (and certainly some men) have long lamented that they have excess padding in certain unwanted areas, and a deficiency in other, more desirable ones. Cosmetic fat grafting, in which surgeons harvest abdominal fat via liposuction and inject it into patients’ faces, breasts and buttocks, is becoming increasingly popular.
Facelifts
For years, people have equated plastic surgery with facelifts. This presumption isn’t without cause, as face-lifting procedures are once again one of the most coveted types of cosmetic surgery. Patients appreciate the dramatic, enduring results they gain from this procedure.
Labiaplasty
Women who feel that their private parts are less than aesthetically pleasing have turned to a relatively new cosmetic procedure. Plastic surgeons saw a 39 percent increase in labiaplasty, a procedure during which the surgeon alters the external folds of the vulva by lifting or injecting them with fat or fillers.
Other Chart-Topping Procedures
Cosmetic surgeons performed nearly 1.8 million procedures in 2016, ranging from dog bite repair and burn care to tummy tucks and calf augmentation. However, certain procedures were clear favorites.
The five most-sought cosmetic surgical procedures during 2016, beginning with the most popular, were breast augmentation, liposuction, nose reshaping, eyelid surgery and facelifts.
The five most minimally-invasive cosmetic procedures that people preferred over all others in 2016 were Botulinum Toxin Type A (aka Botox), soft tissue fillers, chemical peels, laser hair removal and microdermabrasion.
[h/t: Science Daily]