As with any other aspect of life, the field of plastic surgery has its share of trends. Some are here to stay long-term, while others may be short-lived. Here are some of the trends we will likely see grow in popularity this year.
- Breast augmentation will likely continue to be the most popular plastic surgery procedure, and by a wide margin at that. Silicone implants also continue to reign supreme (in 2014, 77% of all implants were silicone, with saline implants accounting for the remaining 23%).
- However, there’s also a newcomer on the scene: breast augmentation through fat grafting. This more natural way to augment a patient’s breast size has been growing at around 15% annually, as more women learn about the availability of the procedure and as its safety is confirmed.
- Buttock augmentation and implants are likely to keep up their growth (the number of procedures doubled from 2013 to 2014), as that particular region of the male and female body continues to have a moment in American popular culture.
- Another procedure on the rise that is not often discussed is labiaplasty, which is used to repair or reduce the size of the labia minora, the inner labia of female genitalia. The procedure grew by 50% from 2013 to 2014, and will likely continue to increase in popularity as it becomes more widely accepted and publicized.
- The past couple of years have seen women giving up their monopoly on plastic surgery procedures, as more men become open to the thought of getting cosmetic work done. The 2014 American Society of Plastic Surgeons report revealed that nearly across the board, men account for a larger number of cosmetic procedures than they ever have before. Two quickly growing procedures for the men’s group are breast reductions and pectoral implants.
- Another interesting trend is that the number of cosmetic procedures among those who are between 40 and 54 of age and those who are 55 and over is growing by nearly 5% a year. Longer lifespans and better health mean that more people in these age groups are able to consider plastic surgery to improve their lifestyles.
- Last but not least, fat transfer procedures will likely continue to grow in popularity due to two factors: on one hand, the U.S. public is becoming more accepting of plastic surgery procedures in general; on the other, they are also looking for the most natural and healthy way to achieve great cosmetic results. By offering patients the ability to use their own fat to enhance certain parts of their bodies, fat transfer procedures are a perfect reflection of these two sentiments.
We look forward to seeing how these trends continue to develop in 2016. If you have questions about any of these procedures and about whether they may be right for you, contact St. Charles Plastic Surgery today to set up a consultation.
