2014 Trends in Plastic Surgery

Dr's from the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 
(AAFRPS)  addressed the Media on Trends in Plastic Surgery

This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.  The esteemed doctors who make up its members, celebrated this milestone at a 5 day International symposium in New York at the Marriot Marquis. I took a good look at who was attending and speaking and I can attest, they were some of the most revered surgeons in the world.

I was honored to be asked by my friends at Melissa Kelz Public Relations, (who represent AAFRPS,) to attend a breakfast to update the media on the latest trends in plastic surgery. The doctors also took plenty of time to answer our questions with candor...and we had plenty of them!

The most interesting tidbits for me, was learning that social media and the "Selfies" trend has translated into patients wanting to address their perceived flaws and that the biggest rise in patients is in the under 30 set.

What a world!!!

There was a lot of information presented and I was delighted that my friend Patty Matthews from Melissa Kelz PR summarized it beautifully, saving me hours of toil.  Below are the salient points, I found it all fascinating!

There’s no denying that social media plays a particularly influential role in teen’s lives and self-esteem, so it’s no surprise that it’s also a driving force behind an increasingly youthful face of plastic surgery. In 2013, more than half of surveyed facial plastic surgeons (58 percent) saw an increase in cosmetic surgery or injectables in those under age 30.

Both men and women are becoming increasingly aware of the aging process, and of what can be done to turn back the clock. The AAFPRS survey found that 39 percent of members surveyed stated there is a rise in the demand for non-surgical cosmetic procedures to delay facial surgery. Thirty-four percent of facial surgeons surveyed stated that women under 35 are looking after their skin to prevent visible signs of aging for longer, while 23 percent of facial surgeons surveyed stated that men under 35 are seeking rhinoplasty, neck liposuction, chin implants, and acne scar reduction procedures.

“The top five things most patients are most concerned with are results, cost, recovery, pain and scars,” says Dr. Farrior. “Whether driven by a desire to stay competitive in the workforce, remain attractive to their mate or simply to look as good as they feel, advances in non-invasive anti-aging technologies are making it possible to delay the hands of time while retaining a natural outcome. As recovery times are reduced and results are more subtle, aesthetic procedures become a more viable maintenance option for young men and women.”

Almost three quarters of all procedures performed in 2013 were minimally invasive. Of these, BOTOX® Cosmetic, made up approximately half of all minimally invasive procedures performed, followed by hyaluronic acid and peels.

WOMEN ARE DIFFERENT FROM MEN

Women continue to be the most likely candidates for facial plastic surgery and account for 81 percent of all surgical and non-surgical procedures in 2013. In fact, mothers are the most likely candidates, making up two-thirds of all procedures on women last year.

Men are most concerned with wrinkles and having a full head of hair, while women value preserving their youthful appearance with a facelift and eye lift as well as having a well-proportioned, attractive nose.

Among male patients, the most popular procedures were BOTOX®, hyaluronic acid injections, hair transplants and rhinoplasty.

The most common cosmetic surgical procedures performed on women were facelifts and rhinoplasties (average of 37 procedures per surgeon each), ablative skin resurfacing (36 procedures) and blepharoplasty (34 procedures). In 2013, BOTOX®, still reigned supreme as the most commonly performed non-surgical procedure among women (348 procedures), followed by hyaluronic acid injections (187 procedures), superficial peels/microdermabrasion (119 procedures), and non-ablative resurfacing (106 procedures).

Meanwhile, “rhinopopularity” still dominates both sexes, with nose jobs being the most requested surgical procedure for both men and women under the age of 35 (90 percent and 86 percent), respectively.

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Familial bonding through plastic surgery is on the rise, with the survey revealing an 8 percent increase in female family members undergoing procedures together. Husbands and wives are actually the most likely to opt for having cosmetic surgery together, with 31 percent of facial surgeons surveyed indicating an increase in married plastic surgery requests in 2013. Women tend to be the driving force behind the decision, however, with 21 percent of male plastic surgery requests resulting from their significant other having undergone facial plastic surgery.

TRUST YOUR FACE TO A FACIAL PLASTIC SURGEON

Thanks to the wealth of information available to patients on the Internet, consumers become more and more savvy about choosing a surgeon each year. Forty-four percent of AAFPRS members surveyed noticed their patients being more educated about plastic surgery than ever before. Most patients got their information about plastic surgery online (60 percent), followed by referrals from friends (53 percent). 

Consumers’ deepening knowledge of the field is indicated by how patients ask for procedures. Rather than asking for a feature by celebrity reference, as was a trend in year’s past, more than half of patients (59 percent) now ask for procedures by describing the area of concern (nasal hump, crow's feet, sagging neck), whereas one quarter (26 percent) ask for the surgeon's advice.

While the Internet is an excellent tool for researching surgeons and procedural information, the AAFPRS urges consumers to beware of “too good to be true” discounted deals on procedures.

“Our members nearly unanimously agree that prospective patients need to exercise caution when considering an online deal,” says Dr. Farrior. “To ensure the best results, you should have a consultation with your prospective physician to assess your candidacy and clearly discuss your goals. Always make sure to select a board-certified surgeon who specializes in plastic surgery of the face, head and neck.”

For more information visit: www.aafprs.org

ABOUT THE AAFPRS:

The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery is the world's largest specialty association for facial plastic surgery.  It represents more than 2,700 facial plastic and reconstructive surgeons throughout the world. The AAFPRS is a National Medical Specialty Society of the American Medical Association (AMA), and holds an official seat in both the AMA House of Delegates and the American College of Surgeons board of governors. AAFPRS members are board certified surgeons whose focus is surgery of the face, head, and neck. AAFPRS members subscribe to a code of ethics. In addition, the AAFPRS provides consumers with free information and brochures and a list of qualified facial plastic surgeons in any area by visiting the AAFPRS web site, www.aafprs.org.

For more information, or to schedule an interview with an AAFPRS spokesperson, please contact the Academy’s public relations firm, Melissa Kelz Communications at 646-450-5359 // info@kelzpr.com and ask to speak to Patty – pattymathews@kelzpr.com or to Melissa –melissa@kelzpr.com

xox,
DD