The United States is by and large the top country when it comes to plastic surgery procedures performed. Whether it’s our society’s obsession with fighting the aging process or the war against obesity, the U.S. holds the top spot when it comes to the sheer number of surgical procedures performed to enhance our aesthetic appearance.
In the past year, plastic surgeons in the U.S. performed nearly 14 million cosmetic procedures. This includes some the most popular cosmetic surgeries performed at Boulder Plastic Surgery such as breast augmentation, rhinoplasty, facelifts, liposuction, and tummy tucks, as well as minimally and non-invasive facial treatments such as Botox, facial fillers, and chemical peels.
Highest Surgeries Per Capita
Because the United States performs the highest number of plastic surgery procedures, you’d be surprised to learn several other countries outrank the U.S. when it comes to the highest amount of surgeries per capita. According to the Economist, countries such as Colombia, Brazil, South Korea, Greece, and Italy, accounted for about 10 cosmetic procedures for 1,000 people in 2011.
Surgery Trends Vary by Country
Different countries also vary as to which cosmetic procedures are most performed on their population. For instance, breast augmentation is the number one cosmetic surgery performed in the United States, but China, Japan, South Korea, and Brazil all beat out the U.S. when it came to the number of rhinoplasty procedures performed.
Asian countries also have more eyelid surgeries, while Brazil focused more on liposuction and buttocks enhancement surgeries. It’s an interesting comment on what different societies view as physical perfection. The Western countries seem to equate larger, fuller breasts and bodies as a high beauty standard, while people in Asian countries desire slimmer, narrower facial features than are associated with their cultural heritage to perhaps achieve a more “Western” appearance.
Most Popular Procedures Worldwide
While some procedures are more popular in certain areas, there are some plastic surgery trends popular everywhere. Botox injections are the most commonly performed minimally invasive procedure, and liposuction is listed as the most popular invasive cosmetic procedure overall worldwide. This shows that globally, most societies are concerned with appearing younger by diminishing facial wrinkles, as well as producing slimmer, healthier-looking bodies with excess fat removal.
