Statistics Show Growth In Cosmetic Surgery Rates

Turn on the TV these days, and chances are you'll run into a reality TV show in which people are getting makeovers -- often including some type of cosmetic surgery.

Although plastic surgery rates have increased 24 percent from 2000 and 5 percent during 2004, a new report says there's no evidence that TV shows are boosting the numbers.

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Discussion: The Plastic Surgery Phenomenon

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More than 9.2 million plastic surgery procedures were performed in 2004 -- a growth rate steady with that of the U.S. economy, according to statistics released this week by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

"These statistics show a strong, continued, and healthy increase in cosmetic surgery that mirrors the 4.4 percent economic growth of the United States," said the organization's president, Dr. Scott Spear, in a news release. "However, there is no evidence in the statistics to support that TV programs have led to a dramatic surge in the amount of cosmetic surgery procedures."

Surgical cosmetic procedures remained relatively stable in 2004, with more than 1.7 million procedures performed, down 2 percent from 2003.

The top five surgical cosmetic procedures were:

1. liposuction (325,000)
2. nose reshaping (305,000)
3. breast augmentation (264,000)
4. eyelid surgery (233,000)
5. facelift (114,000)

Minimally-invasive procedures increased 7 percent to nearly 7.5 million procedures performed in 2004. The organization says the increase can be at least partially attributed to new injectable wrinkle fighters entering the market.

The top five minimally-invasive cosmetic procedures last year were:

1. Botox (3 million)
2. chemical peel (1.1 million)
3. microdermabrasion (859,000)
4. laser hair removal (574,000)
5. sclerotherapy (545,000)