A newsletter from David J. Levens, MD, FACS
Board-certified plastic surgeon
Please contact me for a free consultation with Dr. Levens.
Local Cosmetic Surgery Stats Reflect
National 2007 Statistics
Botox® injections and liposuction were the leading choices in 2007 for Americans seeking cosmetic surgical and non-surgical treatments, according to statistics recently released by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.
Dr. Levens, one of those surveyed by the Society, sees similar trends in his South Florida practice.
“Injectable fillers like Restylane have become increasingly popular for filling facial wrinkles and restoring facial volume loss from aging , especially with women, who have 91% of all cosmetic procedures,” he says. “But Botox®, utilized to selectively weaken expression lines, remains the most popular non-surgical treatment, nearly twice as common as fillers. Often the two treatments are combined to achieve a more effective improvement.”
Levens, one of only 25% of all board-certified plastic surgeons who have met qualifications for ASAPS membership, adds that “liposuction remains popular because it can be done on so many different parts of the body and face, and recovery time is fairly minimal. The national statistics also show that men are having more cosmetic procedures and treatments (17% more than in 2007) and our practice confirms that trend as well. Most male patients say they are having treatments or surgery for professional reasons...they want to look younger and more refreshed at work, especially if they hold positions where there is a lot of interaction with customers, such as in sales. Women tend to have cosmetic surgery or treatments for more personal and social reasons though professional concerns are just as important.”
Nationally, the two top surgical procedures for women are breast augmentation and liposuction, which Dr. Levens says matches his experience locally. Eyelid surgery ranks third, with abdominoplasty ("tummy tuck" surgery) close behind, also reflected in his practice.
“Minor variations in the rankings are a function of local demographics and of course the make-up of any given surgeon's practice,” he says. “In our practice area--Coral Springs and Parkland—the population tends to be a bit younger so body contouring procedures predominate over eyelid and facelift surgery.” Overall, with the rise in effective non-surgical face treatments, the numbers of surgical facelifts have decreased."
The national survey also showed that 22 percent of the aesthetic procedures were performed on traditional racial and ethnic minorities, an increase reflecting the increasing diversity of the general population as well as increasing access and acceptability.
“We see that here as well,” Dr. Levens says, especially in South Florida where we have a large population of people from the Caribbean and South America who are enthusiastic consumers of plastic surgery."
Please contact me for a free consultation with Dr. Levens.