The 2013 annual report of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) shows a tremendous increase in the number of people undergoing plastic surgery procedures in the U.S. Up to 15.1 million cosmetic procedures were performed last year, a 3% increase from 2012. The American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) estimated that more than 11 million cosmetic procedures were performed in the U.S. in 2013, marking a 6.5% increase from 2012. The information supplied by the national authorities in the field of plastic surgery show that the importance people place on physical appearance is growing. In recent years, reports from other countries reveal that the trend is sweeping across the globe.
Plastic Surgery Trends Across the Globe
The Korea Herald recently reported on a survey by the Seoul Metropolitan Government which showed that nearly half of teenage boys (49.4%) in Seoul were in favor of having surgery to enhance their looks. This is a sharp increase from 2007 when only 32 percent were in favor and 38% rejected it. According to a poll conducted in 2013, 33 percent of males aged 15 and older thought of nip and tuck as a possibility. The reason could be that more young men in Seoul believe that they are being evaluated based on their looks.
According to a report in the Guardian, the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (Baaps) revealed that 50,122 surgical procedures were performed in the U.K. in 2013, a rise of 17% on an average since 2012. Liposuction saw a rise of up to 41 percent.
In China, plastic surgery is reported to be one of the fastest growing industries. Candidates are undergoing eyelid surgery to make the eyes look bigger and facelift surgery to improve the jawline. Chinese students are undergoing the procedure in a bid to enhance their job prospects.
In Greece, Italy and other European countries and in some parts of South America like Brazil, cosmetic surgery is almost universally accepted. The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ISAPS) statistics for 2011 show that the countries with the highest number of plastic surgery procedures as the U.S. followed by Brazil, China and Japan. Interestingly, the U.S. is also the country with the most number of certified plastic surgeons.