Breast augmentation has until now been the most popular aesthetic operation in the world.
Liposuction has become the most popular cosmetic surgery operation in the world ahead of breast augmentation, according to new data published by the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS).
Body contouring, or body surgery (a technique that consists in particular of removing excess fat) represents no less than 14.8% of cosmetic surgery operations performed worldwide. Breast augmentation – which consists of increasing the volume of the breasts – represents 13% of cosmetic surgical procedures.
Jump in non-surgical interventions
In total, more than 30 million cosmetic procedures – surgical or non-surgical – were performed in 2021, i.e. 19.3% more than in 2020. The data made public on Tuesday by ISAPS establishes that the aesthetic medicine sector has not only recovered from the health crisis linked to Covid-19 but has also progressed compared to the pre-pandemic period.
Between 2017 and 2021, the number of surgical procedures increased by more than 33% while non-surgical procedures jumped by 54% over the same period. It should be noted that among these, the injection of botulinum toxin commonly called botox was the most requested in 2021. The data communicated by ISAPS also highlights the “significant increase” in the use of hyaluronic acid, injected as a facial filler.
Nearly 2 million liposuctions performed in 2021
The number of breast augmentations has meanwhile increased very slightly – by 0.5% – between 2017 and 2021. Conversely, the number of patients seeking to remove their breast implants has increased by almost 50% during these four years.
Liposuction, known to be an invasive procedure, was also in high demand during this period: more than 1.9 million operations of this type were recorded worldwide in 2021, which is 25% compared to 2020. But the procedure that has experienced the strongest growth since last year is the thigh lift, up 53.1% over one year, ahead of the buttock lift, up 45.7% over the same period.
Rhinoplasty (nose surgery) and abdominoplasty (abdominal surgery) are also very popular, as is eyelid surgery. This is the third most common procedure in the world in 2021 itself and the most popular among men.
Finally, the United States is the first country in terms of the number of aesthetic surgical operations, ahead of Brazil and Japan.
