Cosmetic Procedures Climbing

March 23, 2007 -- Nearly 11 million surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic procedures were done in the U.S. last year, up 7% from 2005, says the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

The ASPS statistics, released yesterday, show that America's top five cosmetic surgeries in 2006 were:

1. Breast augmentation: 329,396 surgeries
2. Nose reshaping (rhinoplasty): 307,258 surgeries
3. Liposuction: 302,789 surgeries
4. Eyelid surgery: 233,200 surgeries
5. Tummy tuck: 146,240 surgeries

The top five nonsurgical procedures were:

1. Botox injections: 4,090,517 procedures
2. Chemical peel: 1,063,423 procedures
3. Laser hair removal: 887,039 procedures
4. Microdermabrasion: 816,774 procedures
5. Hyaluronic acid injections (Hylaform, Hylaform Plus, Restylane): 778,285 procedures

Breast Augmentation Tops Cosmetic Surgery

Breast augmentation led all cosmetic surgeries for the first time in 2006.

"Breast augmentation has always been among the top five surgical procedures but until now has never been No. 1," ASPS President Roxanne Guy, MD, says in an ASPS news release.

In November 2006, the FDA approved the return of silicone breast implants to the U.S. market, ending a partial ban on silicone breast implants that began in 1992 over health concerns if the implants ruptured and leaked.

"With the return of silicone breast implants to the U.S. market, it is likely the number of breast augmentations will continue to increase," Guy says. "Some women prefer the look and feel of silicone implants and were waiting for the FDA to make its decision."

Top Procedures for Women

Women got nearly 10 million cosmetic procedures done in 2006. That's an increase of 9% from 2005 and a 55% increase since 2000, according to the ASPS.

Their top five cosmetic surgeries in 2006 were:

1. Breast augmentation: 329,000 surgeries
2. Liposuction: 268,000 surgeries
3. Nose reshaping: 223,000 surgeries
4. Eyelid surgery: 196,000 surgeries
5. Tummy tuck: 140,000 surgeries

Women's top five nonsurgical cosmetic procedures in 2006 were:

1. Botox injections: 3.8 million procedures
2. Chemical peel: 965,000 procedures
3. Hyaluronic acid: 754,000 procedures
4. Laser hair removal: 714,000 procedures
5. Microdermabrasion: 634,000 procedures

Top Procedures for Men

About a million men got cosmetic procedures in 2006. That's up 8% since 2000, but down 7% from 2005, notes the ASPS.

In 2006, men's top five cosmetic surgeries were:

1. Nose reshaping: 85,000 surgeries
2. Eyelid surgery: 37,000 surgeries
3. Liposuction: 35,000 surgeries
4. Hair transplantation: 20,000 surgeries
5. Male breast reduction: 20,000 surgeries

Men's top five nonsurgical cosmetic procedures in 2006 were:

1. Botox injections: 284,000 procedures
2. Laser hair removal: 173,000 procedures
3. Microdermabrasion: 182,000 procedures
4. Chemical peel: 98,000 procedures
5. Laser skin resurfacing: 32,000 procedures