Plastic Surgery Sees Steady Growth in 2023

The 2023 ASPS Procedural Statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) showed a 5% rise in plastic surgeries and a 7% rise in minimally-invasive procedures compared to 2022.

Liposuction and breast augmentation were the most popular cosmetic surgical procedures in 2023, while neuromodulator injections and hyaluronic acid fillers led the way for cosmetic minimally-invasive procedures. Tumor removal, hand surgery and breast reconstruction were the most-performed reconstructive surgery procedures.

Top Cosmetic Surgical Procedures

Of the nearly 1.6 million cosmetic surgical procedures performed in 2023, the top 5 were:

• Liposuction — 347,782 procedures, up 7% from 2022
• Breast augmentation — 304,181, up 2%
• Tummy tuck or abdominoplasty — 170,110, up 5%
• Breast lift — 153,600, up 7%
• Eyelid surgery or blepharoplasty — 120,747, up 5%

Face and neck at the forefront

Patients looking to enhance their appearance often begin with the face and neck. This may explain why facelifts increased 8% from 2022 to 2023, while neck lifts and forehead lift both increased by 2%. Chin liposuction, aimed at refining the jawline, saw a 6% rise.

Other facial procedures, such as eyelid surgery and nose reshaping, saw increases of 5% and 6%, respectively.

‘Ballet body’ emerges through breast and body procedures

Procedures focused on the body remain highly popular in 2023, which saw continued movement toward a more natural and athletic physique. Dubbed the “ballet body,” this figure is known for its emphasis on a harmonious, proportionate and elegantly contoured body shape. A combination of surgical and nonsurgical procedures can contribute to this physique, including liposuction and body contouring, breast augmentation and minimally-invasive treatments such as noninvasive fat reduction (cryolipolysis), laser skin tightening and injectable fillers.

Breast enhancement continued to hold its place as a perennial favorite in the aesthetic field in 2023. Breast augmentation rose 2% over the prior year, breast lift increased 7%, breast implant removals increased 9% and breast reduction increased 7%.

Top Minimally-Invasive Procedures

Of the nearly 25.4 million cosmetic minimally-invasive procedures performed in 2023, the top 5 were:

• Neuromodulator injections (e.g., Botox, Dysport) – 9,480,949 procedures, up 9% from 2022
• Hyaluronic acid fillers – 5,294,603, up 8%
• Skin resurfacing (e.g., dermabrasion, chemical peel, lasers, microdermabrasion) – 3,501,696, up 5%
• Skin treatment (e.g., laser hair removal, laser treatment of leg veins) – 3,101,772, up 6%
• Lip augmentation (with injectables) – 1,439,291, up 4%

Minimally-invasive procedures remain popular

Minimally-invasive procedures as a whole grew 7% in 2023 over the previous year. Neuromodulator injections and hyaluronic acid fillers topped the list with more than 9 million (a 9% increase) and 5 million (a 8% increase) treatments, respectively.

Chemical peels remained a popular choice for skin rejuvenation, with more than 1 million treatments, representing an 8% increase from 2022. The number of laser hair removal procedures rose to more than 800,000, a 9% increase. Laser skin resurfacing also gained traction, with more than 1 million procedures performed, a 4% rise from the previous year.

Top Reconstructive Procedures

Of the nearly 1.02 million reconstructive procedures performed in 2023, the top 5 were:

• Tumor removal (including skin cancer) – 351,591 procedures, up 2% from 2022
• Hand surgery – 207,887, up 2%
• Breast reconstruction – 157,740, up 4%
• Maxillofacial surgery – 52,868, up 1%
• Scar revision – 52,000, up 2%

Source: American Society of Plastic Surgeons