A record number of Americans are undergoing plastic surgery, national data revealed.
An annual report from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) showed that 26.2 million cosmetic and reconstructive procedures were performed in 2022, up 19 percent from 2019.
A cosmetic procedure involves improving or altering a person’s appearance. The most popular was botoxwith 8.7 million procedures performed, and filler injections, of which 4.8 million were performed.
These facial procedures, which combat aging, have surged more than 70 percent from the year before the pandemic.
Cosmetic surgical procedures involving liposuction (or removal of excess fat) were the most popular along with breast augmentation (to reduce breast size).
Plastic surgeons said the Ozempic effect may be driving the increase, as more people undergo procedures after rapid weight loss leaves them with the Ozempic face.
The chart above shows the top minimally invasive cosmetic and plastic surgeries of 2022, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
Record number of Americans underwent plastic surgery in 2022, data shows
Plastic surgeons said the record number of surgeries was likely because people had savings after the Covid pandemic and spent them on long-coveted procedures.
They said social media influencers were also driving increases in some procedures such as lip augmentation, while the growing popularity of breast reductions may be linked to the desire for a more active and healthy lifestyle.
Plastic surgery was also becoming increasingly “less stigmatized”, they added, as more celebrities and social media influencers were pictured with the alterations.
Famous examples include Kylie Jenner, who was mentioned in the report, and Madonna, who underwent at least 12 procedures.
Dr. Gregory Greco, president of the ASPS, said this year’s report “supports the broader trend of the public’s growing desire to look and feel better in their own skin.”
“As interest and acceptance of plastic surgery grows, ASPS member surgeons remain committed to maintaining rigorous safety standards and continued prioritization of patient and provider education.”
The data was based on procedure reports submitted by the Society’s 8,000 members, who represent 92 percent of all U.S. plastic surgeons.
They also used data from the CosmetAssure and PatientNow databases.
Rounding out the top five procedures are skin rejuvenations (3.3 million) in which the top layer of skin is removed to stimulate the growth of new skin underneath and combat aging.
Skin treatments, such as using lasers to treat the skin, were in fourth place with 2.9 million, while lip augmentations or enlargements were in fifth place with 1.4 million.
In all these procedures, the number of procedures carried out has been increasing compared to previous years.
In the report, they said lip augmentations were more than just a “fair weather fad”, and that public interest was likely driven by celebrities such as Kylie Jenner and social media influencers.
The ‘Ozempic face’ could also be behind a growing interest in procedures such as botox, fillers and facelifts.
Ozempic can cause sudden weight loss that can leave patients with loose or sagging skin, in a phenomenon called “Ozempic face.” This can be solved through plastic surgery.
The report says: ‘The rise in rapid weight loss attributed to drugs such as Ozempic introduced a phenomenon colloquially called “Ozempic face”, in which the face shows more pronounced signs of aging due to rapid and significant weight loss.
“Although it is early to predict the implications of this trend on plastic surgery, the ASPS is currently monitoring its potential impacts.”
The graph above shows increases in procedures compared to 2019. The largest growth was in breast reductions, which may be related to the desire to lead a more active lifestyle.
As for cosmetic surgical procedures, abdominoplasty or abdominoplasty ranked third with 161,000 procedures completed in 2022.
This was followed by breast lift or mastopexy with 143,000 and eyelid surgery or blepharoplasty with 115,000.
Among reconstructive procedures, tumor removal was the most common with 344,000 performed.
This was followed by hand surgery (204,000), breast reconstruction (151,000), maxillofacial surgery to adjust the jaw (52,000) and scar revision (51,000).
More than 90 percent of the procedures were performed on women, surgeons suggested, although there is a growing trend of men performing them.
Patients were more likely to undergo procedures on places they could “see first” in the mirror, such as the face and neck.
Plastic surgeons said special attention was paid to the area around the eyes in 2022, which may be related to more people wearing face masks.
The rise in fat-removing procedures may also be linked to the Covid pandemic, they said, when many people gained weight due to a more sedentary lifestyle.
Dr Greco said: ‘Board board plastic surgeons can offer a number of options, both surgical and minimally invasive, to help patients feel better after lifestyle changes that have affected their weight.
“ASPS member surgeons can work with patients to create a customized solution that prioritizes safety and promotes effectiveness.”
People were also receiving adjustments based on what they saw in celebrities and influencers on social media, the report added.
They said social media had also helped make operations “less stigmatized” and led to more people coming forward for operations.
On what was driving the rally, they said savings from the Covid pandemic were playing a key role.
A spokeswoman said: “Patients are no longer postponing procedures they have been considering, which can be attributed to them spending more time working from home and the flexibility that hybrid work schedules offer patients for their recovery.”
