Cosmetic Surgery - Why is it So Popular?

As recently as 2018, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) reported that nearly a quarter-million cosmetic surgery procedures were performed in 2018. This number was an increase over the 17.7-million cosmetic procedures that were performed in 2017. In addition, the report by the ASPS showed that breast augmentation and liposuction were among the most popular procedures performed on cosmetic surgery patients. While the numbers show cosmetic procedures are growing in popularity, let’s take a closer look at why cosmetic surgery is so popular.

Reasons for Cosmetic Surgery Popularity

When it comes to having cosmetic surgery, there are many reasons patients decide to have a procedure. The factors can be external such as easy accessibility to videos and photos that teach patients about specific cosmetic procedures. The reasons could also be personal such as people that want to increase their self-esteem or they want to achieve a look they see on social media or on celebrity red carpets.

Some of the reasons for the increase in popularity of cosmetic surgery include:

Thanks to advances in medical science and technology, patients are more likely to trust their doctors and have faith in gaining the desired results. Cosmetic surgery is often less invasive and involves less recovery time than in the past so patients can enjoy superior results as well as resume their normal activities at a much quicker pace. The online presence of doctors has grown to include videos showing how cosmetic procedures are performed as well as “before and after photos” of actual patients and patient testimonials.
Patients that have experienced low self-esteem in the past are more likely to have cosmetic surgery to try and gain a greater satisfaction with their appearance.
The influence of social media plays a big part in the decision to have cosmetic surgery. People that use social media are able to alter their photos using apps in order to present the best version of their appearance to the public. In order to try and match how they look in online selfies, many people turn to cosmetic surgery to try and match their online look.
While the public can alter and enhance their online appearance with filters, they also want to show their “best selves” without the use of online filters so they have cosmetic surgery to enhance their appearance.
Patients often view plastic surgery as a way to gain increased confidence in their appearance as well as gain a better outlook in their daily life since they feel like they look better when they are in public.
The influence of celebrities and other cultural influences play a big part in the decision of people to have cosmetic surgery. They want to try and match the beauty standards they learn about in the world around them and turn to cosmetic surgery to make changes in their appearance.

Popular Cosmetic Surgery Procedures

The following are some of the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures performed on a regular basis:

Breast Augmentation – Patients looking to alter and augment the size or shape of their breasts use breast augmentation to enhance the appearance of their breasts. Some patients enhance their breasts through the use of breast implants while others augment the appearance of their breasts through fat grafting.
Facelift – A facelift provides a more youthful and rejuvenated look to the face by eliminating wrinkles as well as loose and droopy skin by removing excess skin and tightening the lifted facial tissues.
Dermabrasion – Patients that want to achieve smoother skin that also looks younger use dermabrasion to sand down the top layer of the skin. Dermabrasion can reduce and eliminate the appearance of wrinkles, age spots, acne scars and skin that has been damaged by the sun.
Liposuction – The body gains a more contoured and firm shape thanks to the elimination of hard to remove fat deposits that are suctioned out of the body.
Tummy Tuck – The abdomen gains a better shape after a tummy tuck thanks to the removal of excess fat and the restoration of muscles that are commonly weakened due to pregnancy.
Hair Transplant – Patients that have thinning or balding areas on the scalp can gain a fuller head of hair thanks to hair transplant techniques that moves hair from the sides and back of the scalp to the balding area of the head.
Lip Augmentation – Patients that want to gain fuller lips, through lip augmentation, often have dermal fillers injected into the lips to increase the volume and shape of the lips.

Cosmetic Surgery and Self-Image

Many people believe that cosmetic surgery is a way to boost their self-image as well as become more attractive in the eyes of others. Patients should choose a cosmetic surgeon they trust to perform their procedure of choice as well as provide the desired results. In addition, patients should ask to see “before and after” photos of actual patients so they can see the type of results they can expect to enjoy after the cosmetic surgery procedure. Finally, the doctor will examine the patient to make sure the person wants to have the cosmetic procedure because they desire a change in their appearance as opposed to wanting a procedure in order to make someone else happy with their appearance.