Who’s Having Cosmetic Surgery Done and When?
Cosmetic surgery use is shifting from damage control to prevention. Women (and an increasing number of men) are embracing cosmetic procedures at younger ages to combat aging and prevent skin damage. It is becoming common for adults in their 20s and 30s to include regular non-invasive cosmetic treatments like Botox and fillers in their normal skin care regimens, although people between the ages of 35 and 50 still comprise the largest cosmetic surgery demographic in the U.S.
According to 2011 statistics released by the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, adults ages 35 to 50 accounted for 43% of all U.S. cosmetic procedures — more than 4 million – last year. The number of cosmetic procedures obtained by young adults ages 19 to 34 (20%) and adults between the ages of 51 and 64 (28%) showed no change from the previous year. Cosmetic surgeries for adults 65 and older decreased by 1% and increased only marginally for those ages 18 and younger.
In the decade since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Botox for cosmetic use, demand has skyrocketed it to the top spot as the most popular non-surgical cosmetic procedure in the U.S. Last year, 5,670,788 Botox and Dysport procedures and 1,874,322 dermal filler treatments were performed in the U.S., according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
The desire to work longer, stiff job competition that rewards youthful appearance, increasingly active post-50 lifestyles, and a noticeable increase in men and women dating later in life is driving the multi-generational interest in the use of Botox/Dysport and dermal fillers to fight the natural effects of aging.