Americans Spent More Than Ever Before on Plastic Surgery

A recent report by the American Society Of Plastic Surgeons, which was released in April, shows that Americans spent more than ever before on plastic surgery in 2016, with numbers reaching more than $16 billion. This was spread across both cosmetic plastic surgery and minimally invasive procedures throughout the year, and the report even breaks down some of the most popular procedures along with their average costs.

Most Popular Procedures

In America, there were a huge number of procedures carried out in 2016, and breast augmentation, as normal, topped the list with 290,467 procedures completed in that time period. Liposuction, nose reshaping, tummy tuck and buttock augmentation were the next most popular surgical procedures. One noticeable difference in 2016 as opposed to previous years however, is that more minimally-invasive cosmetic procedures were carried out, with wrinkle treatment injections (such as Botox), hyaluronic acid fillers, chemical peels, microdermabrasion, and laser treatments all showing as popular procedures on the report. In fact, wrinkle treatment injections took the top spot out of all of the procedures, both surgical and non-surgical, with a whopping $7 million procedures taking place throughout 2016. One of the reasons why people may be turning to minimally-invasive procedures in America could be down to the costs.

Cost Of Surgery

While the costs of some surgeries in the US, such as breast augmentation, actually decreased in cost when compared to 2015, down 2.7%, there is still a huge difference in price between that kind of procedure and a minimally-invasive procedure. Wrinkle treatment injections, at a national average, cost just $385, whereas the least expensive surgical procedure out of the five most popular (liposuction) costs on national average $3,200. The cost of the procedures will generally depend on the type of surgery, location of the surgery and insurance coverage, and more often than not, fees for the surgeries will not include anaesthesia, operating room facilities or other expenses.

With political changes in place, and a revamp of the American Health Care Act set to happen by President Donald Trump, the industry could see even more of a push towards cheaper surgical options, such as medical tourism. The difference in some procedures, like the cost of a hair transplant in Turkey compared to the US can be drastic, despite the excellent facilities and industry-leading surgeons on offer, which could cause some Americans to head overseas in the years ahead.

Across The Pond

While the US saw a huge increase in the amount spent by the US on cosmetic plastic surgery procedures, the UK actually saw a 40% decrease in the number of procedures that were carried out in 2016 in the UK according to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS). BAAPS generally put the decline down to financial constraints, as well as the growing influence of ‘relatable’ stars like Zoella and model Iskra Lawrence. However, the UK also saw a similar trend of an increase in minimally-invasive procedures being carried out, as people are being provided with more options than having gone under the knife. However, money is generally the biggest cause of concern, meaning there is a possibility of a boom in medical tourism coming over the next few years, with global industry predictions showing that the industry should generate at least twice of what it generated in 2015 (U.S $60-$70 billion) over the next five years.