Social media has the power to make trends go viral overnight, and plastic surgery is no exception. With the rise of Instagram dolls, who document their surgical journey from start to finish, plastic surgery has become the new norm. This raises the question of how many people get plastic surgery a year and what they get done.
Below, we dive deep into the latest numbers regarding aesthetic surgeries in the U.S. and wider. We’ll talk about procedures most commonly done by both men and women and touch on the factors that have led to this spike.
How Common Is Plastic Surgery?
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons recently came out with the 2022 plastic surgery statistics report, and the results are staggering. According to their research, cosmetic surgery procedures have gone up 19% since 2019. The most popular procedures of the year were liposuction, breast augmentation, tummy tuck, breast lift, and eyelid surgery. The top minimally invasive procedures included neuromodulator injections, fillers, skin resurfacing, and lip augmentation.
In the U.S., the number of aesthetic surgeries reaches a new peak every year. In 2021, it was the country with the most cosmetic procedures at 7,35M. The number of cosmetic surgical procedures has gone from 900,933 in 1997 to 1,877,810 in 2022.
It’s believed that these numbers are a result of all the plastic surgery clinics that have been popping up across the States. Today, it’s easier than ever to find a reliable Lexington plastic surgeon for your beauty needs.
Let’s see how many people get plastic surgery on a yearly basis in the U.S. and worldwide.
Source: shutterstock.com / Photo Contributor: puhhha
How Many People Get Plastic Surgery Globally
While it’s difficult to always have the latest data on the global interest in plastic surgery, we found some plastic surgery statistics worldwide as a pointer.
In 2021, lipo was number one, with almost 2M procedures performed globally. Breast augmentation came at a close second with 1,685,471 procedures in total.
Next, follow eyelid surgery (over 1.4M), nose surgery (almost 1M), and tummy tuck (also close to 1M). Breast reduction comes last, with 507,363 reductions done that year. However, recent body positivity awareness is set to change this – women and men in 2023 are getting more and more reductions to feel more comfortable in their bodies.
Below, we’ll show what percentage of the population gets plastic surgery in the U.S.
U.S. Plastic Surgery Statistics That Might Surprise You
When comparing pre-pandemic plastic surgery percentages to now, there’s a noticeable shift. The ASPS has provided a chart on its 2022 findings, showing that breast reduction procedures have snowballed by 54% from 2019. Next follows the tummy tuck with a 37% jump, the breast lift with a 30% rise, and liposuction with a 23% increase.
Lower body interventions have also become widespread, with a 23% growth since 2019 for upper arm lifts and 28% for lower body lifts. The famous BBL procedure has also seen an uptick, with 28,638 procedures in 2022 – a 2% increase from 2019.
Overall, there were 1,498,361 cosmetic surgical procedures in the U.S. in 2022, compared to the 1,255,228 in 2019 – a 19% boost.
Most Sought-After Plastic Surgery Procedures According to Gender
Men not desiring plastic surgery is a myth, and we have the latest data to prove it. Let’s look at how procedures vary by demographics:
The most common plastic surgery for females
We’ll now go over the most common plastic surgical procedures for women in 2022 for the body and face.
The top five most popular procedures done on the face were:
- Eyelid surgery – 115,261
- Facelift – 72,668
- Nose reshaping – 44,503
- Facial fat grafting – 33,877
- Lipo – 22,285
The top five most requested procedures done on the body were:
- Lipo – 325,669
- Tummy tuck – 161,948
- BBL – 28,638
- Upper arm lift – 21,429
- Lower body lift – 10,445
The most common plastic surgery for males
Let’s take a look at popular surgical cosmetic procedures for men in 2022:
- Breast reduction – 21,358
- Lipo – 19,593
- Eyelid surgery – 11,277
- Nose surgery – 6,536
- Tummy tuck – 4,771
Note: This data encompasses the number of procedures performed by ASPS member surgeons – the global percentages are even higher.
Factors That Contribute to the Popularity of Plastic Surgery
As the epicenter of cosmetic procedures, Turkey is a reliable source of information regarding plastic surgery trends and behavioral changes in the industry. This case study conducted in a multidisciplinary hospital located in central Istanbul, Turkey, found that the pandemic was the driving force behind the increased number of cosmetic surgeries in 2021 compared to 2019/2020.
Precisely 46.3% of the respondents in the survey stated that wanting to improve their looks after the pandemic was what finally drove them to meet with a plastic surgeon.
Another factor contributing to the rise of plastic surgeries is the increased level of acceptance. Acceptance comes from factors related to body image and social status, as well as societal standards.
Cosmetic fads on social media platforms like TikTok also play a role in the increased percentage of plastic surgeries. Mewing appliances, gua shas, and jade rollers are only some facial-sculpting tools people swear by; however, according to users, they take some time to show results. Naturally, many get impatient and go under the knife as a permanent solution.
Source: shutterstock.com / Photo Contributor: George Rudy
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the most common aesthetic surgical procedure for women in 2022?
Liposuction was the most common plastic surgery for females in 2022. Also referred to as lipo, this is an invasive surgical procedure used to remove excess fat and sculpt different areas of the body – belly, hips, thighs, buttocks, and so on.
Why is eyelid surgery so popular all of a sudden?
Both men and women favor this procedure because it can take years off your face and give you a lifted, striking look. So, it’s no surprise how many people get plastic surgery on their eyes every year.