Study Says Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Will Quadruple
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons recently announced the completion of a comprehensive study that suggests the number of plastic surgery procedures will quadruple in ten years – that is, the period between 2005 and 2015. The study was undertaken using the ASPS database of annual plastic surgery procedures, both surgical and non surgical, between 1992 and 2005. Hence the projection for the decade ending in 2015; obviously, in mid-2008 we are well on the way.
The projection is clearly a benchmark for an industry that will continue its steep growth curve for some time to come. We should note that the ASPS is closely affiliated with the American Board of Plastic Surgeons; 90% of the members of the ASPS have been certified by the ABPS. The ABPS, in turn, is far and away the most respected certifying body for plastic surgeons in the United States.
Any physician certified as a plastic surgeon by the ABPS has undergone extensive exams; every doctor so certified has proven to a panel of his or her peers that they possess the capability to be a competent plastic surgeon. The ABPS is the “gold standard” for plastic surgeon certification, an important fact for consumers to recognize as plastic surgery continues to grow and to offer more options for body enhancement as new technology comes on line.
The study utilized detailed data on both the type and the number of cosmetic plastic surgery procedures that were performed over the thirteen-year period. They looked at growth over that period; additionally they applied “economic and non-economic” criteria to weight the analytic results. Probably the most important economic development in cosmetic plastic surgery over the past several years is the establishment of a price structure that makes cosmetic surgery a possibility for a large segment of the population beyond the wealthy.
One of the data points in the study’s conclusion is that between 1992 and 2005, the compound annual growth rate was 7.5 % for surgical procedures and 27.9% for non-surgical procedures. They also divided the nature of the procedures performed in the industry in 2005 into surgical and non-surgical categories and into performances performed by ASPS members and non-members. Therein lies a tale, because ASPS membership equates with American Board of Plastic Surgeons certification ninety percent of the time.
Board Certified Surgeons Will Become the Standard Choice
In 2005, 34% of procedures performed by ASPS member surgeons were surgical procedures and 66% were non-surgical. In that same year for non-ASPS members 9.5% of procedures were surgical and 90.5% were non-surgical. Both these figures and the study’s projections show that non-surgical procedures have become prominent and will continue to grow. In fact, the study’s projections show ASPS surgeons actually performing surgery for just 12% of their clients in 2015 while the non-surgical procedures will be 88% of their business. For ASPS non-members, they will perform surgery on just 3% of their clients while 97% of their procedures will be non-surgical.
It’s a safe bet that part of the reason for this trend will be the development of products and technologies that allow for more non-invasive cosmetic plastic surgery options. Botox and similar products may have lives of a few years instead of a few months. Treatments that cause collagen regeneration may be developed. Speculation can go in a hundred different directions. The point is that cosmetic plastic surgeons will be able to do things with external treatments and syringes that they now accomplish with surgery.
The data also makes clear that there are two classes of professionals performing cosmetic plastic surgery and that the public is much more inclined to seek out a board-certified surgeon than to opt for an establishment such as a ‘medi-spa’ that mixes laser treatments and filler injections with standard salon fare and may or may not have a board certified surgeon on staff. Further, there is growing recognition among consumers that it makes sense to seek out the best if you are contemplating a permanent change to your body. Finally, the trends illustrated by this study are encouraging in the sense that they suggest the number of marginally capable people currently offering cosmetic physical alterations will lose viability in the public eye.
