Use of cosmetic surgery by racial/ethnic minority patients has increased substantially in recent years, well beyond their relative increase in the U.S. population, reports a study in the March issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.
“Our study provides new evidence on the changing demographics of patients undergoing cosmetic surgery in the United States,” comments ASPS Member Surgeon Alvin Kwok, MD, MPH, of the University of Utah, senior author of the new study. “Plastic surgeons should be aware of the rising demand for cosmetic procedures among non-White patients, as well as the financial and cultural factors that may be driving this trend.”
Updated look at cosmetic surgery rates by race/ethnicity
Using a national surgery database, the researchers analyzed trends in cosmetic plastic surgery among patients of different racial/ethnic groups from 2010 to 2023. The analysis focused on five common cosmetic procedures: liposuction, breast augmentation, abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), mastopexy (breast lift) and blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery).
The analysis included nearly 38,000 patients undergoing cosmetic surgery. Trends among White and non-White patients were analyzed, including comparison with national shifts in demographic characteristics.
“From 2010 to 2023, the racial and ethnic composition of cosmetic surgery patients shifted substantially,” Dr. Kwok and colleagues write. Minority representation nearly doubled, from 17% to 33.5%, while the proportion of White patients decreased, from 83% to 66.5%.
Percentage increases in representation differed among non-White minority groups: by about 83% for Black or African American patients, 55% for White Hispanic patients, 548% for non-White Hispanic patients and 92% for Asian patients.
Implications for cosmetic surgery in an increasingly diverse population
The percentage of minority patients increased for all five procedures analyzed. Black and non-White Hispanic patients had the greatest increases in breast augmentation, abdominoplasty and liposuction, while White Hispanic patients had the largest increase in mastopexy.
Racial and ethnic changes in cosmetic surgery exceeded demographic shifts in the U.S. population. Representation of non-White patients in cosmetic surgery increased by an average of 10% per year, compared to the 2% annual growth in the U.S. population: a difference of 8% per year. In contrast, the proportion of White patients undergoing cosmetic surgery declined by an average of 7% per year, relative to the population. The trend was consistent across all five procedures.
Historically, White patients have accounted for a large majority of cosmetic surgery patients. Overall rates of cosmetic surgery have increased dramatically in recent years. While previous studies have reported rising rates of cosmetic surgery use by non-White patients, the new analysis is the first to compare these changes with population trends.
The researchers identify several factors that may contribute to increases in cosmetic surgery among minority patients. These include rising incomes among non-White Americans, increasing financial accessibility, shifting cultural attitudes, with an emphasis on enhancing rather than altering natural ethnic features, and increased racial/ethnic diversity in beauty advertising.
“As the cosmetic surgery population is becoming more diverse, it is becoming increasingly important for surgeons to be cognizant of cultural and socioeconomic factors that may impact surgical decision-making, patient satisfaction and surgical outcomes,” Dr. Kwok and colleagues conclude. They also reinforce the need for “continued efforts to diversify our plastic surgery workforce.”
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery® is published by Wolters Kluwer.
Click here to read “Modern Trends in Hospital-Based Cosmetic Surgery Use across Racial and Ethnic Groups”
Article: “Modern Trends in Hospital-Based Cosmetic Surgery Use across Racial and Ethnic Groups” (doi: 10.1097/PRS.0000000000012420)
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