Reality TV may be attributed to the growth in cosmetic surgery

Reality TV shows are creating a greater public awareness of cosmetic surgery and may attribute to the growth in procedures, however, these shows have not caused a rampant increase.

The number of cosmetic plastic surgery procedures increased 5 percent in 2004, with more than 9.2 million procedures performed – a growth rate steady with that of the U.S. economy, according to statistics released today by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). New five-year trending data shows cosmetic procedures are up 24 percent from 2000, reports the ASPS.

“These statistics show a strong, continued, and healthy increase in cosmetic surgery that mirrors the 4.4 percent economic growth of the United States,” said ASPS President Scott Spear, MD. “However, there is no evidence in the statistics to support that TV programs have led to a dramatic surge in the amount of cosmetic surgery procedures.”

Surgical cosmetic procedures remained relatively stable in 2004, with more than 1.7 million procedures performed - down 2 percent from 2003. The top five surgical cosmetic procedures were liposuction (325,000), nose reshaping (305,000), breast augmentation (264,000), eyelid surgery (233,000), and facelift (114,000).

Minimally-invasive procedures increased 7 percent to nearly 7.5 million procedures performed in 2004. The top five minimally-invasive cosmetic procedures were Botox® (3 million), chemical peel (1.1 million), microdermabrasion (859,000), laser hair removal (574,000), and sclerotherapy (545,000).

The growth in minimally-invasive procedures can be attributed, in part, to new injectable wrinkle fighters entering the market. More consumers are considering injectables to prolong or avoid facelifts, forehead lifts and eyelid surgeries. In fact, the demand for hyaluronic acid injectable fillers like Restylane® and Hylaform® jumped 927 percent in 2004. Botox® injections increased 4 percent in 2004 and 280 percent since 2000.

To ensure plastic surgery procedures are not overstated, the ASPS has refined the methodology for its collection of statistics to offer more accurate, reliable, and realistic data on plastic surgery. Since 2003, statistics have been collected through the first online national database for plastic surgery procedures, Tracking Operations and Outcomes for Plastic Surgeons (TOPS). This data, combined with the annual survey sent to more than 17,000 board-certified physicians in specialties most likely to perform plastic surgery, results in the most comprehensive census on plastic surgery procedures.