The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) has released its new annual international statistics, which state that over 20 million surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures were performed around the world in 2014. The report notes that the U.S. continues to lead the world in the number of procedures performed and that a growing variety of proven treatments are being pursued by the public. While the most popular procedure around the world remains treatments with botulinum toxin, better known as Botox, with nearly 5 million procedures performed, numerous surgical and non-surgical procedures are also continuing to thrive.

The report notes largely what we’re seeing in our own offices at BHP. It tells us that eyelid lifts are the most widely taken surgical procedure, with liposuction following closely behind. It’s apparent to us that breast augmentation remains the most popular surgery for many female patients and that men are continuing to pursue a growing number of procedures, including eyelid lifts (blepharoplasty), rhinoplasty and breast reduction for men dealing with gynecomastia, a common condition resulting in increased breast size. All of these procedures figure highly in the report and are regularly performed in our offices, where we are seeing a greater cross section of the public than ever before. While a certain amount of negativity around plastic surgery seems to linger, particularly in gossip-driven online press accounts, the reality is that more and more men and women from all walks of life are seeking to improve both their personal and professional prospects through the use of a growing variety of procedures.

Particular interesting is the fact that more than 2.5 million men worldwide obtained procedures in 2014. While this number is still considerably smaller than 17 million procedures obtained by women, it also reflects the growing realization that the idea that only women should be particularly concerned with their appearance has become extremely outdated. Our patients of both genders agree that improving their appearance can make a tremendous difference in both the dating pool and the job market; these ISAPS statistics indicate that this is a worldwide state of affairs.