The number of people looking for a nip here, a tuck there, a new nose, or higher brows is on the rise. Recent statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) reported that more than 10.2 million people in the United States underwent cosmetic surgery in 2005, representing an 11% increase from the previous year. Of these procedures, 5.4 million were for reconstructive plastic surgery. A slightly higher number of 11.5 million procedures was reported by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), which included both surgical (19%) and nonsurgical (81%) procedures.
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July 2006Not only are more people seeking cosmetic surgery every year, but more types of people are undergoing these procedures. According to the ASPS statistics, the number of cosmetic plastic surgeries among ethnic minorities increased by 44% from 2000 to 2004. From 2004 to 2005, the number of procedures in these populations increased by 65% with about 2.3 million procedures performed.
With this increased demand for cosmetic plastic surgeries among ethnic minorities, otolaryngologists–head and neck surgeons will be challenged to understand the values and priorities of these groups.