To the surprise of absolutely no one, plastic surgery rates are still on the rise, and yet again we have the numbers to prove it. According to new data released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), there were 17.5 million surgical and minimally invasive cosmetic procedures performed in the United States in 2017, a 2 percent increase over the year before.
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Of the 1.8 million cosmetic surgical procedures performed last year, the top five most sought-after surgeries stayed generally the same as it was in 2016, with one exception. Tummy tucks have officially surpassed facelifts on this list, eliminating facelifts from the top five entirely. Here are the most popular procedures from 2017:
- Breast augmentation (300,378 procedures, up 3 percent from 2016)
- Liposuction (246,354 procedures, up 5 percent from 2016)
- Nose reshaping (218,924 procedures, down 2 percent from 2016)
- Eyelid surgery (209,571 procedures, approximately the same as 2016)
- Tummy tuck (129,753 procedures, up 2 percent from 2016)
In 2016, tummy tucks did not make the top five list of cosmetic surgeries performed, which is why the sudden rebound in 2017 is surprising for many. Over 2,000 more tummy tucks were performed in 2017 than in 2016, showing quite the increase year over year.
“An improved abdominal contour is something that many of us strive for, but for some patients, that may not be attainable through diet and exercise alone,” said ASPS President Jeffrey E. Janis, MD, in a statement explaining the sudden rise. “Age, pregnancy and significant weight changes can impact both the skin and underlying muscle. Tummy tucks performed by a board-certified plastic surgeon remove excess fat and skin, and in most cases, restore weakened or separated muscles to create an improved abdominal profile.”
