Part V: News and Updates from the ASAPS (American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery)

Women are more likely than men to contemplate cosmetic surgery; 40% of women said they would consider having cosmetic surgery, compared to 18% of men. But many of those who might not want surgery themselves say it has nothing to do with what others might think. Almost three-quarters (73%) of all women and 69% of all men said that if they had cosmetic surgery, they would not be embarrassed if other people knew about it.

Opinion                                      2009                                    2000

Americans’ general approval of cosmetic surgery

Women                                  62%                             61%
Men                                      51%                             63%

Would not be embarrassed about having cosmetic surgery

Women                                  73%                              77%
Men                                      69%                              77%

Would consider cosmetic surgery for self, now or in the future

Women                                   40%                              31%
Men                                       18%                              20%

Would consider cosmetic surgery for self, now or in the future, by race/ethnicity [includes both men and women]

White Americans                       29%                             26%
Non-White Americans                 31%                             24%

Other key findings of the study include:

• The majority of men and women (73 percent) have not wavered on their attitude toward cosmetic surgery in the past five years; although 20 percent said their attitude was ‘more favorable' and 7 percent that said their attitude was ‘less favorable' than it was five years ago.

• Out of all age groups, men and women between the ages of 25 and 34 are the most likely to consider plastic surgery for themselves now or in the future.

• Men and women age 18 to 24, at 65 percent, are the most likely to approve of cosmetic surgery, while those age 55-64, at only 49 percent, are the least likely to show approval.

• Ethnicity has little effect as to whether respondents would be embarrassed if people outside their immediate family and close friends knew they had cosmetic surgery.   Exactly the same percentage (71%) of white respondents and nonwhite respondents said they would not be embarrassed.

According to 2008 ASAPS Cosmetic Surgery Statistics, last year women had more than 9.3 million cosmetic procedures (92 percent of total), and men had over 800,000 procedures (8 percent of total). Overall, the number of surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic procedures decreased 12 percent from 2007. To access the complete 2008 ASAPS Statistics Click Here.