Well, the numbers are in.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons recently released their annual report on the number of plastic surgery operations performed and which procedures were most popular in the past year. Interestingly, the findings show that a major shift is occurring in the industry.
For the last decade the top cosmetic procedures have been butt and breast augmentations, but for the first time in this century the numbers of women having breast operations dropped 7%, to just over 286,000 operations, and butt procedures declined by a whopping 36%, to under 3,800 operations in 2012.
However, the plastic surgery industry experienced one of its biggest boons last year with a record-breaking 14.6 million people getting one or more operations—an increase of 5% from 2011—meaning there was a shift in what is popular.
So what’s in now? Lasers.
Facelifts, Botox, and laser treatments have replaced butt and breast augmentation as the number one cosmetic operation in America.
According to a CNN report by author and professor of surgery Dr. Anthony Youn, the reason for the sudden shift in the popularity of laser treatments, as opposed to butt and breast surgery, is caused by two factors: baby boomers and technology.
Baby Boomers Driving the Industry
An estimated 79 million U.S. citizens were born in the era of history remembered as the “baby boom”, which includes the 18 years between 1946 and 1964. Or to put it in more comprehendible terms, the baby boomer generation makes up over one quarter of the entire U.S. population.
The spending trends of such a huge portion of the American population create major shifts in the market, and it appears that this is what is occurring in the plastic surgery industry.
As boomers become seniors, they are tipping the scale in favor of operations that treat sagging skin, wrinkles, and other signs of aging. Facelifts, spider vein treatments, and skin rejuvenations have become the top priority to a huge generation of Americans who are now 50 or over.
As Dr. Youn puts it, “Boomers are not only getting into the act, they’re spearheading it.”
New Technology Improves Laser Effectiveness
Not only do boomers want to treat aging, they want a non-invasive way to do so. Invasive operations, like breast and butt surgery, are oftentimes too strenuous and the recovery time too steep for many seniors.
The new advancements made in laser technology means that getting years erased from your face is hassle-free and painless. Plus, there is little to no recovery time.
In previous decades, the same treatments would have been impossible, but with the development of laser technology, baby boomers are flocking to this quick, easy solution to aging.
As for the future of plastic surgery, Dr. Youn says, “I predict that the number of baby boomers undergoing facelifts and eyelid lifts will rise dramatically in the coming years as they realize that there is no real substitute for well-performed surgery.”
Visit Accent to learn more about looking young again with laser treatments.