Surprising Plastic Surgery Trends

In the past seven years plastic surgery has moved from a Hollywood-centered activity that was viewed as a medical curiosity of the famous and wealth to a mainstream practice that has drawn interest from almost everyone from all walks of life. There are now television shows, books, website and even full time blogs all dedicated to the wonders of plastic surgery and how it can change a person's life.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons keeps statistics from all of its members about what how many procedures are performed a year and it's an interesting look at what was popular seven years ago and what is popular today. These trends all compare the calendar year of 2000 with the calendar year of 2007.

Here are some of the surprising statistics when you compare plastic surgeries from 2000 to 2007:

The number of breast lifts rose 97% in just seven years. This procedure is also known as Mastopexy and it's one of the many procedures that has grown in popularity over time as the procedure itself has been refined and improved over the years. It is performed by taking up some of the excess skin around the breast and literally tightening or lifting the breast on a woman. It can be performed with or without an accompanying breast enlargement. It's a good alternative for women who want to make their breast appear more youthful without making them larger.

The number of buttock lifts, while still relatively small, has increased about 143% in the past seven years, mostly due to an increase in surgeon skills and technology over the years. You are starting to hear about this procedure more and more in the mainstream media, which may also be a reason for its increase in popularity. In 2007 there were over 3,000 buttock lift surgical procedures performed.

Having a lower body lift or Belt Lipectomy has jumped from only a few hundred in 2000 to more than 8,500 in 2007. It's actually a series of procedures which usually includes cosmetic surgery on the abdomen, thighs and buttocks. The procedures can all be done at once or spread over a period of time according to the patient's desires and needs.

Upper Arm lists jumped an amazing 4041% over a seven year period, partially due to a number of people losing massive amounts of weight and then needing to have some of the excess arm skin taken up. This procedure has also been getting more media attention which has lead to a greater increase in the general population.

The use of Botox is also one of the biggest trends from 2000 to 2007, though Botox injects are only a minor procedure compared to some of the more serious surgical procedures listed above. Botox usage saw an increase of over 475% in seven years.

It is interesting to note that many of these procedures have become much more popular over the years as various forms of gastric bypass surgery became popular and more prevalent. Most of the procedures that saw dramatic increases are at least indirectly the result of people undergoing some sort of surgical procedure to lose large amounts of weight and then needing these cosmetic procedures to help put their body back into shape again.

Overall it is clear that plastic surgery itself is becoming more popular as the general population grows older the technology of plastic surgery becomes more advanced.