In 2009, spending on plastic surgery in the United States fell 20% to $10.5 billion, down from the $13.2 billion spent in 2007, according to the latest statistics from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS).
The number of cosmetic surgical procedures since 2007 dropped by 30% to 1.47 million, whereas nonsurgical treatments — such as wrinkle injections, chemical peels and laser hair removal — fell by 13% to 8.5 million.
Breast augmentation remained the most popular surgical procedure, although the number of surgeries fell 22% since 2007, to 312,000. Liposuction, the second most popular surgery, plummeted nearly 40% to 284,000 procedures. Among the remaining top five surgical enhancements, eyelid surgery was down 38%, while abdominoplasty and facelifts both dropped by about 30%.
Although nonsurgical treatments are down over all since 2007, less expensive procedures like injections to smooth out or fill wrinkles showed signs of a rebound. Injections of Botox and Restylane increased by 4% in 2009 compared to the year before.
Cosmetic procedures for men are on the rise. For them, the most popular procedures were liposuction, rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery, male breast reduction, and hair transplants.
[Source: PSP/ASAPS/The New York Times/
