2011 Plastic Surgery Statistics Summarized

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons has released its 2011 Plastic Surgery Statistics Report, showing an overall 5 percent increase in cosmetic work from 2010 with 13.8 million procedures performed during the year. Of those, 12.2 million were minimally invasive in nature. In the same period, there were some 5.5 million reconstructive surgeries completed.

Showing an overall 5 percent increase in cosmetic work in 2011 from 2010 with 13.8 million procedures performed during the year. Of those, 12.2 million were minimally invasive in nature.

Top Cosmetic Procedures in 2011

The top five operations were:

• breast augmentation up 4 percent
• nose jobs down 3 percent
• liposuction up 1 percent
• eyelid surgery down 6 percent
• face lifts up 5 percent

The most favored minimally invasive procedures were Botox injections, up 5 percent and soft tissue fillers up 7 percent, followed by chemical peels down 3 percent, laser hair removal up 15 percent, and microdermabrasion up 9 percent.

Soft tissue fillers are among the fastest growing of all cosmetic procedures for their ease and effectiveness. The favored methods are calcium hydroxylapatite, sold as Radiesse, which saw an upsurge of 36 percent during the year, following by fat injections at 19 percent, and hylauronic acid (sold as Restylane and JuvedermUltra) picking up 9 percent.

The most favored minimally invasive procedures were Botox injections, up 5 percent and soft tissue fillers up 7 percent, followed by chemical peels down 3 percent, laser hair removal up 15 percent, and microdermabrasion up 9 percent.

Other surgical cosmetic procedures routinely performed include breast implant removals, breast lifts, buttock implants and lifts, cheek implants, chin augmentation, calf augmentation, ear surgery, forehead lifts, hair transplantation, lip augmentation by non-injectable means, lower body lifts, pectoral implants, thigh lifts, tummy tucks, and lower arm lifts.

Minimally invasive techniques include cellulite treatments, intense pulsed light methods, laser treatment for leg veins, and sclerotherapy among others.

Cosmetic Procedures by Age, Location, and Gender

People under the age of 19 don't tend to go in for much "work." Those who do, often with parental permission, most often seek breast augmentations and nose jobs. The largest number of candidates for cosmetic procedures of all types fall in the 40 to 54 age bracket, with 6.4 million seeking various kinds of changes in 2011.

Of those who did seek cosmetic work, 5.9 million opted for minimally invasive procedures, with 525,000 undergoing surgery. Ninety-one percent of cosmetic techniques are performed on women -- about 12.1 million -- as compared to 9 percent for men at 1.2 million.

The largest number of candidates for cosmetic procedures of all types fall in the 40 to 54 age bracket, with 6.4 million seeking various kinds of changes in 2011.

There is an increasing trend toward procedures that can be performed in the surgeon's office as opposed to a hospital, a jump of about 5 percent. By location, procedures break down to:

• In office 9,493,697
• With a hospital stay 1,543,358
• At a free-standing ambulatory surgical facility 2,791,671

Repeat customers now represent 51 percent of the overall industry. Multiple procedures are combined into a single session approximately 48 percent of the time.

5.3 million women went in for Botox injections, with an additional 1.8 seeking soft tissue fillers.

The surgical procedures most favored by women were breast augmentation, nose jobs, liposuction, eyelid surgery, and tummy tucks. Men tended to opt for nose reshaping, eyelid surgery, liposuction, breast reduction, and facelifts.

Some 5.3 million women went in for Botox injections, with an additional 1.8 seeking soft tissue fillers as compared to 363,000 men receiving Botox. The second most popular minimally invasive procedure in men was laser hair removal. Only 87,000 men sought soft tissue fillers.

Cosmetic Surgery by Ethnicity

By ethnicity, 69 percent of cosmetic surgery patients in 2011 were Caucasian, 12 percent were Hispanic, 8 percent African-American, and 6 percent Asian-American.

By ethnicity, 69 percent of cosmetic surgery patients in 2011 were Caucasian, 12 percent were Hispanic, 8 percent African-American, and 6 percent Asian-American. African-Americans.

African-Americans most often sought liposuction, breast reduction, and breast augmentation; Asian-Americans opted for nose reshaping, breast augmentation, and eyelid surgery; and Hispanics elected for liposuction, breast augmentation, and nose reshaping.

Average Surgeon's Fees for Cosmetic Procedures

Average surgeons and physicians fees for various procedures ran as high as $7,928 for a full body lift to just $1,218 for dermabrasion. The top five procedures returned the following costs in terms of surgeon's fees only:

• breast augmentation $3,388
• nose job $4,422
• liposuction $2,859
• eyelid surgery $2,741
• facelifts $6,426

Average costs for the top five non-invasive procedures were:

• Botox injections $365
• soft tissue fillers $468 to $1658
• chemical peels $653
• laser hair removal $358
• microdermabrasion $141

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons has been compiling data on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery statistical trends in the United States for almost two decades. This study was completed in partnership with Data Harbor Solutions, a health care industry data management and technology development company. The results have a projected confidence level of 95 percent with a 3.16 +/- margin of error.

Procedures Per 1000 in Population