Plastic surgery is on the rise. Not just in the US, but all over the world. According to new stats recently published at the World Congress exhibit in Paris, the worldwide cosmetic surgery market grew over 8% in 2016 to an estimated $8.9 billion. That figure is expected to increase to almost $10 billion this year and industry experts predict that this growth will only continue in the years ahead.
Though North America (the US in particular) and Europe still have the highest numbers of cosmetic surgery procedures performed each year, other world regions are beginning to close the gap. The Asian Pacific region has seen a massive spike in the popularity of plastic surgery, particularly South Korea. Research done by the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) stated that South Korea had the 3rd most plastic surgery procedures performed in 2015, behind just the US and Brazil.
There are a number of factors that can be partially attributed to this recent cosmetic surgery surge. Societal stigmas around cosmetic surgery, especially for men, have become less prevalent in recent years. More people than ever all around the globe are feeling empowered to seek out cosmetic procedures as a way to fight off the signs of aging and look and feel their best. We have also seen an increase in the number of available board-certified cosmetic surgeons worldwide in recent years.
Though plastic surgery as a whole is growing worldwide, which procedures are most popular is still very dependent on the region. The ISAPS data indicates that breast augmentation procedures and liposuction are still the most popular procedures in the US, whereas facial procedures like eyelid and nose surgeries are the most in-demand in South Korea. One thing that remains consistent is the exponential growth of non-surgical cosmetic procedures like Botox® Cosmetic injections and nonsurgical fat reduction like SculpSure®.
Personally, I’m very heartened by this development. As someone who takes pride in helping people improve their appearance, self-esteem and quality of life through plastic surgery, it’s great to see more and more people opting for these potentially life-changing procedures. If you are interested in a cosmetic procedure and would like to schedule a consultation, please contact me, Dr. David Whiteman at Southern Plastic Surgery today. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ for more tips and updates.