Healthy Beauty Cosmetic Treatments

June 5, 2003 -- Forget Botox. His-and-hers and mother-daughter treatments are latest trends in plastic surgery.

Well, don't forget Botox entirely. It's still the most common non-surgical cosmetic medical procedure. After laser hair removal, it's the second most common procedure of all.

Welcome to the 2003 survey of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS). The 40-page document is a treasure trove of information.

Perhaps the most fun is the "trends" page. It shows that:

• 36% of plastic surgeons saw a couple that underwent surgery together.
• 25% saw a mother and daughter who had surgery together.
• 31% saw a patient who received plastic surgery as a gift.
• 6% saw sisters having plastic surgery together.
• 4% saw friends having plastic surgery together.

Despite a boost from his-and-hers face-lifts, men are seeing plastic surgeons 30% less often than they did in 1997. But don't cry for the poor doctors. Women amply fill the gap with a 40% increase in plastic surgery over the same time period. Nearly nine out of 10 plastic-surgery patients are women.

But men still seek cosmetic help from plastic surgeons. They tend to favor more expensive, back-to-work-the-next-day kinds of procedures. AAFPRS president Dean M. Toriumi, MD, head of the facial plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Illinois, Chicago, says it's a response to America's drooping economy.

"Men and women responded differently to the economic downturn, with women holding off personal improvement and men choosing to invest in themselves, possibly to increase job security," Toriumi says in a news release.

When men do see a plastic surgeon, they're much more likely to ask for fat injections (up 5-fold from last year), filler injections (up 4.5-fold from last year), and lip augmentation (up 4.2-fold from last year).

About one in four men tell their doctors that they're getting plastic surgery for work-related reasons. Only 10% of women say that. But women may be a bit more honest: 57% of women and 45% of men say looking younger is the reason for their surgery.

Other interesting plastic surgery facts:

• The most common surgical procedures: eyelid jobs and nose jobs.
• The most common non-surgical procedures: Botox, microdermabrasion ("sanding" technique using a high speed rotating wheel to peel away skin), and chemical peels.
• Nose job season: Most nose jobs are done in the summer. Nose jobs increased 46% since 1997.
• When people tend to get plastic surgery: Winter.
• Why people travel 50 miles or more to get plastic surgery, if they have a qualified surgeon close to home: They want a vacation-like setting in which to recover.
• Percentage of plastic surgery patients who previously had plastic surgery: 30%.
• Percentage of plastic surgery patients who have had multiple procedures in the same year: 47%.
• Average cost of a nose job in 2002: $4,178.
• Average cost of a Botox treatment in 2002: $426
• Average cost of an eyelid job (upper and lower lids): $3,816