Breast Augmentation Overtakes Liposuction in the US

A recent set of statistics from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery has indicated that breast augmentations have overtaken liposuction as the top cosmetic procedure in the US.

Over 10 million cosmetic treatments were performed in America in 2008, including both surgical and non-surgical procedures. Around 355,700 of these treatments were breast augmentations – the first time in years that anything other than liposuction has taken the top spot.

This is fairly intriguing news as, in a society inundated with warnings of obesity, you’d expect more people to be concerned about achieving a flat stomach or wobble-free thighs – though the ASAP statistics state otherwise.

Of course, liposuction surgery is not designed for treating obesity and instead targets isolated areas of fat where the patient has tried to no avail to remove it through diet and exercise. Some may speculate that, as many societies report growing levels of obesity, more people are opting for a more intensive surgical experience instead – such as proper weight-loss surgery. However, I don’t think it’s reasonable to suggest that liposuction has dropped in popularity because people are getting larger. There is a vast difference between people who could benefit from liposuction and those who need a gastric bypass or lap band surgery, and neither procedure ought to reflect on how the other fares in the popularity stakes.

Cosmetic trends come and go and breast augmentations have always been a popular one. Similarly, procedures such as breast uplifts are particularly favoured among older women who may not be looking for larger breasts but simply want to feel better about how their general appearance – I am interested to see, though, if the trend moves over to the UK. After the initial rush for breast enlargements in the 1990s, it’ll be fascinating to see if the trend goes full circle in this short a period.