The Most Popular Plastic Surgeries in the US

Lately, plastic surgery has become a popular phenomenon, just as similar to the Christian Louboutin craze. Plastic surgeries have became commonplace and of course widely-accepted all over the world, including the United States. There are currently about two million plastic surgery procedures a year in the U.S. I was curious to find out, what exactly Americans wanted to change about themselves. After all, haven't we all at one point wanted to change something about ourselves?

Now gentlemen, this isn't just about the ladies. Men have indulged in the plastic surgery craze, contributing to more than one hundred fifty thousand surgeries per year. So here we indulge in a bit of medical statistics and find out about the 10 Most Popular Plastic Surgeries in the United States!

The surgery to remove male breast tissue is becoming vastly popular in the United States specifically, and makes our list at number 10. The are over twenty thousand Gynescomastia Surgeries performed each year. The treatment is mainly for men, as it can usually be blamed on genetics or on weight gain. It is also a common problem experienced by men who have used steroids and marijuana over a period of time. Just as a typical breast lift, the incision is usually made around the nipple, so that it leaves no scarring.

Cost of Gynecomastia Surgery: $6000-$7500. (This is an average estimate; it will vary depending upon the physician and condition.)

A Brow lift is a surgery to reduce wrinkles in the skin of the forehead by lifting the shape of the eyebrows; aka a forehead lift. The average age of a patient receiving this lift is 47 in the US. Women are getting this procedure done 6:1 versus the men!

Cost of Forehead Lift: $5000-$6000. (This is an average estimate; it will vary depending upon the physician, location and condition.)

A Breast lift is obviously for perking up sagging or oddly shaped breasts. Most breast lift patients have either recently lost a significant amount of weight or just been through multiple or one pregnancies, which leave the breast looking somewhat deflated.

Cost of Breast Lift: $4500-$8000. (This is an average estimate; it will vary depending upon the physician, location and condition.)

What is the difference between getting a brow lift (forehead lift) and a face lift? The face lift doesn't exclusively concentrate on the forehead, eyes area. It lifts up the whole face improving sagging cheeks, sagging chin, sagging eyes and forehead! Americans currently spend over $1 Billion dollars every year on face-lifts. And remember, most cosmetic surgeries are NOT covered by insurance; they come out-of-pocket!

Cost of a Face Lift: $10,000-$20,000. (This is an average estimate; it will vary depending upon the physician, location and condition.) This procedure more than others is one you do not want to skimp on! It's extremely invasive and comprehensive!

Rhinoplasty, aka nose job, is a surgery to improve the appearance of the nose either through reshaping, resculpting or filing. Rhinoplasty is often also performed to improve function of breathing: i.e. for deviated septums! (So it can be covered by insurance).

Cost of Rhinoplasty: $6000 (This is an average estimate; it will vary depending upon the physician, location and condition.)

As you can tell by the photo, breast reductions really are necessary at times for a woman's well being and improvement of quality of life. Women who suffer from extremely heavy or large breasts have trouble breathing, suffer from back & neck problems, and poor posture. Because it is a medical issue, breast reduction surgery is a surgery often paid for by insurance companies, as the benefits are more than cosmetic.

Cost of a Breast Reduction: $6000-$7000 (This is an average estimate; it will vary depending upon the physician, location and condition.)

Abdominoplasty removes excess skin from the stomach region and tightens the skin that hangs. Tummy tucks are growing common, especially among post-pregnancy women or after losing significant weight quickly. The ideal candidate doesn't have fat in the abdomen, but too much hanging skin.

Cost of a Tummy Tuck: $6000-$7000 (This is an average estimate; it will vary depending upon the physician, location and condition.)

This is an extremely common surgery in Asia, becoming rapidly popular in the US. It is often referred to as double-eyelid surgery. It is mainly for Asian women who want a crease they don't have to form a "double-eyelid". (Look at photo on right.) In the US however, eyelid surgery is mainly to reduce puffiness, sagging eyelids and severe under-eye bags.

Cost of Blepharoplasty: $3000-$4000 (This is an average estimate; it will vary depending upon the physician, location and condition.)

We all know how popular breast augmenting has become in the US, but did you know just how much? There are over 350,000 breast aug. surgeries each year! Although just a few years back Silicone implants were banned due to health risk, are now popular again. But still, 80% of women choose saline implants, although not as "real feeling" as silicone.

Cost of Breast Augmentation: $5500-$6500 (This is an average estimate; it will vary depending upon the physician, location and condition.)

That's right folks, liposuction remains the most popular surgical procedure in the country for over a decade now. Liposuction is a very simple procedure in theory: it improves a body's shape by removing excess fat from deposits located between the skin and muscle. The problem is, you can only remove so much fat in one surgical sitting. The great thing about liposuction is, it can be used on almost anywhere on your body: butt, stomach, thighs, hips, chin, back, and arms.

Cost of Breast Augmentation: $4000-$10000 (This is an average estimate; it is difficult to give a number and varies extremely by how much you are getting liposuctioned off. Also, it does depend on location, physician and how many areas you are liposuctioning)

Author Note

All facts concerning procedures comes from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. (2006 Data)