10 Most Common Plastic Surgery Procedures

Nov 9, 2021 | Rhinoplasty

Plastic surgery has come a long way over the last 2 decades. Not so long ago, you needed to travel to another state or country to undergo cosmetic surgery. Surgical techniques have, however, improved drastically and the number of plastic surgeons available within the country has significantly increased. It is now possible for men and women of all ages to enjoy transformative plastic surgery in Monmouth County and New Jersey areas.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), there were 15.6 million plastic surgery procedures performed within the US in 2020. Out of these 2.3 million were cosmetic surgical procedures while 13.2 million were cosmetic minimally invasive treatments. On top of this, there were an additional 6.8 reconstruction plastic surgeries. This was despite the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Board-certified physicians reported that they were stopped from performing surgical procedures (due to the pandemic) for an average of 8.1 weeks through the year. On this page – and based on official statistics – we explore some of the leading aesthetic procedures that millions of Americans are choosing to have every year.

Top 5 Cosmetic Surgical Procedures

The most common cosmetic plastic surgery procedures were as follows.

  • Nose reshaping – nose reshaping, also referred to as rhinoplasty, is a procedure that aims to reshape the nose in order to improve breathing, enhance the appearance, or both. The plastic surgeon may alter the structure of the nasal bone along with the surrounding cartilage and skin. Rhinoplasty was the most common cosmetic surgical procedure in 2020. There were more than 352,000 of these treatments performed within the U.S.
  • Eyelid surgery – as we age, our eyelids stretch and the muscles that support them tend to weaken. Excess fat may accumulate below or above the eyelids, leading to sagging eyebrows, bags under the eyes, and droopy eyelids. This can make you look older and sometimes even reduce vision. Also referred to as blepharoplasty, eyelid surgery aims to alleviate these issues by removing excess skin, muscle, or fat. In 2020, there were 325,112 eyelid surgeries completed within the United States, making it the second most popular cosmetic surgical procedure.
  • Facelift – According to a Baton Rouge plastic surgeon facelift was the third most common cosmetic plastic surgery in the country, with over 234,000 of these surgeries completed in 2020. This procedure – also referred to as a rhytidectomy – aims to create a younger facial appearance by alleviating folds of skin on the jawline and cheeks. This procedure can dramatically enhance the appearance and youthfulness of your face. Depending on the needs of the patient and the goals of the surgery, plastic surgeons may perform a neck lift along with this treatment in order to achieve a comprehensive transformation.
  • Liposuction – there were more than 211,000 liposuction surgeries completed within the country in 2020. Liposuction – also known as lipo – is a cosmetic surgery that removes stubborn pockets of fat from different areas of the body, including the abdomen, thighs, buttocks, hips, arms, neck, and more. Plastic surgeons create tiny incisions and then use a special suction device known as a cannula to remove excess fat.
  • Breast augmentation – breast augmentation is a plastic surgery that aims to enhance a woman’s breast size and volume. Plastic surgeons use either artificial implants or natural fat tissue extracted from other parts of the patient’s body to complete this treatment. Breast augmentation has very high satisfaction rates and has for many years been among the top 3 most common cosmetic surgeries. In 2020, there were more than 193,000 breast augmentation procedures performed in the country.

Top Cosmetic Minimally Invasive Procedures

The leading non-invasive cosmetic procedures in 2020 were as follows:

  • BOTOX – BOTOX is an injectable that is commonly used to improve the appearance of facial wrinkles and sometimes even address certain medical conditions such as excessive sweating, neck spasms, an overactive bladder, and lazy eye. This was the most common non-invasive aesthetic procedure in 2020 with over 4.4 million treatments administered in the country.
  • Soft tissue fillers – dermal fillers – also known as injectable fillers are FDA-approved compounds that are injected under the facial skin to achieve a fuller and youthful facial appearance. There were more than 3.4 million of these non-invasive injectable administered in 2020.
  • Laser hair resurfacing – this is a cosmetic treatment that uses laser technology to remove the outer layer of the skin by vaporizing it. Laser hair resurfacing may be an alternative to temporary solutions for men and women who are looking to get rid of hair in certain areas of their body. Over 997,000 of these treatments were performed in 2020.
  • Chemical peels – these are chemical solutions that are used to reduce fine lines under the eyes as well as treat wrinkles caused by sun damage. Chemical peels may also be used to enhance imperfections in the neck and hands. This was the fourth most common minimally-invasive cosmetic treatment with more than 931,000 treatments completed in 2020.
  • Intense pulsed light (IPL) – IPL therapy – also referred to as photofacial – is a procedure that aims to enhance the color and texture of your skin without the need for surgery. It may improve visible sun damage and other skin imperfections on the face, neck, chest, and hands. There were over 827,000 IPL treatments completed in 2020.

Conclusion

Dr. Rahul Vemula and other board-certified plastic surgeons use safe techniques to conduct plastic surgery while minimizing the risk of complications. If you have thought about having plastic surgery and are wondering what procedure is worth it for you, scheduling a consultation with your surgeon is a good first step.