Cosmetic surgery on the rise

Thinking of refreshing your look with a little lift, tuck or tightening? You’re not alone.

According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, which last month released its 2015 national data report, the country’s cosmetic surgery industry is alive and well. In fact, Americans spent more than $13.5 billion last year on cosmetic adjustments and enhancements. (That’s an increase of $1.5 billion in expenditures from 2014 to 2015 on surgical and nonsurgical procedures combined.)

Speaking of nonsurgical procedures, those are rapidly rising, too, compared to more invasive ones that involve longer recovery periods. Plus, it’s not just women who are going under the knife. While men made up about only 10 percent of the industry’s surgical procedures last year, the number of them performed among men has climbed more than 325 percent since 1997.

So what were the year’s top procedures? Which are ones to watch moving forward? Here’s a breakdown of the report’s key facts and figures:

• Surgical vs. nonsurgical: Over the past five years, nonsurgical procedures have risen more rapidly than surgical ones. (By the numbers, that’s a 44 percent growth versus a 17 percent increase.) The top surgical procedures were liposuction, breast augmentation, tummy tucks, eyelid surgery and breast lifts. Botulinum toxin (Botox injections, for example), Hyaluronic acid (includes injectables such as Juvederm Ultra and Restylane), hair removal, chemical peels and microdermabrasion led the nonsurgical category.

• Fat grafting on the rise: For the first time, data on fat grafting to the breasts, buttocks and face were reported. Fat transfers to the face were the ninth most popular surgical procedure in 2015.

Fat and tissue grafting involves harvesting fat or tissue from one part of the body and redistributing it to another through tiny incisions. In the case of the face, it’s used to restore some fullness to features that appear deflated or drawn with age. It’s a good alternative to injectables, Pittsburgh-based plastic surgeon Leo McCafferty said, because it’s permanent, whereas fillers last only between six to nine months.

• Men vs. women: For both genders, liposuction was the top procedure in 2015. Breast augmentation, tummy tucks, breast lifts and eyelid surgery were the leading cosmetic surgeries among women. For men, it’s nose surgery, eyelid surgery, breast reduction (which increased more than 25 percent among men last year) and face-lifts. Injectables are in demand, too. The 35-to-50 age group undergoes the most procedures.

• Office vs. hospital: As interest in nonsurgical options grows, there are many procedures that do not need to be done in a hospital. In 2015, more than 60 percent of cosmetic procedures were performed in an office facility, whereas 11.9 percent were carried out in hospitals. Another 26 percent were done in free-standing surgical centers.

• Trends to watch: Nonsurgical skin tightening, tattoo removal, microdermabrasion, buttock lifts and male breast reduction saw the most significant increases between 2014 and 2015. NeoGraft hair replacement — a treatment for male and female baldness in which very small hair follicles are removed from the back of the head and placed in bald areas — is a procedure that’s working well for patients, too, McCafferty says.