10 Most Common Plastic Surgery Procedures in America

While the world may be getting shallower as time progresses, and while that may also be true for America, the 10 most common plastic surgery procedures are not entirely based on improving one’s looks solely. Plastic surgery serves a host of noble purposes apart from allowing one to indulge in narcissism, which include facial reconstruction surgery from horrific accidents or diseases such as the flesh eating amoeba.

Nearly 21 million plastic surgeries were carried out in 2014, which means people spend over a billion dollars on them. This figure can be compared with the 10 most popular plastic surgery procedures. Furthermore, there had been an increase in minimally invasive cosmetic procedures when compared to the previous years, while on the other hand, most of the cosmetic surgical procedures witnessed a decline in the total surgeries performed when compared to the previous year. Surprisingly, there was negligible change in the reconstructive procedures performed.

We used the report published by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, which is the most comprehensive society of plastic surgeons, with over 7,000 members. The Society has joined hands with Data Harbor Solutions, which collects data related to healthcare and have come up with unbiased, objective statistics. A questionnaire was distributed to over 28,000 surgeons and the replies were later projected onto the entire population, enabling us to get an idea of the 11 most common plastic surgery procedures in America.

10. Breast augmentation

Procedures performed: 286,254

Breast augmentation is a surgery which is performed on women who want to change either the shape, size or texture of their breasts. While this is often preferred by women who think that the size of their breasts is too small, it is also preferred by women body builders who want to be able to maintain their feminine physique.

9. Sclerotherapy

Procedures performed: 323,609

This is a surgery that is performed on young adults or children in order to correct any lymphatic malformations. On the other hands, it is also practiced on adults who suffer from varicose veins, spider veins and hemorrhoids. In fact, it is one of the oldest procedures used to treat spider veins, having been performed for nearly a hundred and fifty years.

8. Non-ablative laser skin resurfacing

Procedures performed: 391,253

Laser skin resurfacing is a surgical procedure which intends to remove any blemish or imperfection on the skin, while also serving to simply improve how the skin looks. Non-ablative laser skin resurfacing refers to a surgical procedure which acts in order to tighten the underlying skin while also encouraging the growth of the protein, collagen.

7. Intense pulsed light treatment

Procedures performed: 621,724

One of the wonders of modern medicine, intense pulsed light treatment is used to treat the skin for a variety of causes, which include photorejuvenation, removal of hair and even to treat diseased which are dermatologic in nature. A light source is used to focus on the desired object, and hence, can even target chromophores in the skin as well.

6. Microdermabrasion

Procedures performed: 881,905

Microdermabrasion is generally a harmless procedure which is why it is a favorite among the people. It gently removes the outer layer of the skin through exfoliation and can even be performed at a small clinic, provided the right tools are present.

5. Laser Hair Removal

Procedures performed: 1,112,046

Everyone knows the pain of having hair everywhere. Not only does it often diminish a person’s physical attributes, it can often be a nuisance to deal with as well. This is why laser hair removal is a hugely popular surgery, and with over a million patients, takes the fifth spot in the 11 most common plastic surgery procedures in America. In this procedure, laser light is used in order to destroy the hair follicle itself.

4. Chemical Peel

Procedures performed: 1,250,059

Another minimally invasive procedure is the chemical peel. In this procedure, a chemical solution is generally applied to the skin, which then slowly with time, peels off, revealing unwrinkled new skin. While some chemicals peels can even be practiced at home, that is generally not considered to be a good idea.

3. Soft tissue fillers

Procedures performed: 2,301,673

These are FDA approved medical devices which serve as implants and are administered to showcase a smoother or more streamlined appearance of the face. These are also popularly administered at the back of the hand in order to increase its volume.

2. Tumor Removal

Procedures performed: 4,440,186

This one is generally not a procedure for simply improving one’s appearance, though it can be in the cases where a tumor is benign. A tumor is a growth on the body, and while a malignant tumor means that the person is suffering from a disease, a benign tumor simply results in an ugly growth which can be removed through surgery.

1. Botulinum Toxin Type A

Procedures performed: 6,673,608

Topping the list of 10 most common plastic surgery procedures is the botulinum toxin, more popularly known as Botox. Botox is the go-to procedure for many celebrities which in turn has inspired their fans as well. An injection of Botulinum Toxin can paralyze your face muscles, which in turn makes your skin look smoother. However, administer it too much and you will be unable to use your face muscles at all.