The US Leads the World According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the US was the global leader in total cosmetic procedures, or 17.9%, with total surgical procedures at 14.2%, and total non-surgical procedures at 20.7%. Of all global surgical procedures, the US accounted for 27.7% of all face and head procedures; 39.6%, breast procedures; and 32.6%, body and extremities procedures. Among non-surgical procedures, the US accounted for 67.8% of all injectable procedures, 19.2% of facial rejuvenations and 12.9% of all others.

Gender and Ethnicity Trends Women accounted for 87%, or 1.65 million, of all cosmetic surgical procedures in the US during 2016, a 4% increase from 2015, and 92%, or 13.9 million, of all cosmetic minimally-invasive procedures, a 3% increase from 2015. Among men in the US, almost 215,000 had cosmetic surgical procedures, or 13% of the total, and 1.1 million had cosmetic minimally-invasive procedures, or 8% of the total. Both categories increased 3% from 2015. In the US, 2016 cosmetic procedures increased 4% among Caucasian-Americans, decreased 2% among Latino-Americans, was unchanged among African-Americans and increased 6% among Asian-Americans.

Facts About Practices According to the American Board of Plastic Surgery, there are approximately 6,700 cosmetic surgeons currently practicing in the US, or a 6.3% increase since 2014. In its 2016 Plastic Surgery Statistics Report, The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reported that 72% of procedures were performed in office facilities, 9% in hospitals and 19% in freestanding ambulatory surgical facilities. Of the 27 specialties in the Medscape Physician Compensation Report 2017, cosmetic surgeons earned the second highest annual salary, at $440,000, an increase of 24% from 2016, the highest increase of any medical specialty.

Very Little Stigma Remaining According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the number of cosmetic procedures increased by 861,972 during 2016, or 6.74%, from 2015. Most of this increase, 794,845 procedures, was from non-surgical procedures. During 2016, Americans spent more than $15 billion on cosmetic procedures, an increase of 10% from 2015, and the largest total ever. Surgical procedures accounted for 56% of total expenditures. Factors driving the increase included a rebounding economy, reduced recovery times, new non-invasive procedures and the rising importance of celebrities, social media and self-improvement.

Facing Forward According to a American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) 2017 survey, 31.07% of men said they were extremely likely to consider a cosmetic procedure, 17.64% said it was very likely and 11.81% said it was somewhat likely. In another AAFPRS survey, 64% of plastic surgeons reported an increase among patients 30 years of age and younger. Trends driving this increase include celebrity influence (82%) and looking better in selfies (42%). According to an article on The Dermatologist Website, the most popular current treatment trends are smoothing wrinkles or tightening skin, 60%; improving skin tone and scars, 51%; body sculpting, 50%; and laser hair removal, 48%.

Advertising Strategies Because more people choose non-surgical, or non-invasive, cosmetic surgery, emphasize the minimal recovery downtime, especially to attract younger demographics who want to return to their careers/jobs and lives quickly. Consider a media mix of early-morning TV news and outdoor advertising to brand both the practice and the surgeon to create a professional, but personalized rapport with patients. Cosmetic surgeons who specialize in reconstructive procedures can share statistics about severe dog bites in their advertising (28,000 Americans required reconstructive surgery from dog bites during 2015).

New Media Strategies Post Facebook videos of procedures (with HIPAA compliance) to show potential patients before-and-after comparisons, how procedures are performed and the quick recovery. Promote quarterly Webinars via social media, each based on a different procedure. Encourage questions from the audience. This is an excellent method to generate rapport and help potential patients become comfortable with you. Ask patients to share their stories on video of how cosmetic surgery changed their lives, e.g., help land a job, make new friends, improved social life, gained self-confidence and self-esteem, etc.