And The Winner Is…. Breast Augmentation
Gravity won big at the Oscars, but the American public parted with more than $12 billion last year trying to defy it. According to figures to be released today by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), spending on plastic surgery and other cosmetic procedures has increased by nearly $1.5 billion. Slightly less popular than the previous year—but still the number-one operation among women—was breast augmentation, with 313,000 surgeries. Liposuction came in second (312,000 procedures) among women, followed by tummy tucks (151,000), breast lifts (137,000), and eye lifts (133,000).
It was also a good year for face-lifts. Although that particular surgery has not been in the top five for years, in 2013 the number of procedures jumped from 107,000 to 117,000—the highest number ever recorded—and that in spite of the ready availability of filler injections that can refresh the face without incisions. As for women’s nonsurgical interventions, no surprises there: Botox and similar injections topped the list with a whopping 3.4 million procedures, up from 2.9 million in 2012. Hyaluronic acid fillers were number two, up 32 percent; and photo rejuvenation, also called intense pulsed light, was up 34 percent.