Human behaviour has changed during the year 2020, especially since the Covid-19 pandemic started worldwide. One of the changes and trends that is rising without stopping is plastic surgery operations. There are some explanations as to why people underwent more treatments, like having more money after saving from other leisure activities. Also, spending too much time on virtual meetings and social media increased the need to enhance physical appearance.
Either way, the Association of American Surgeries recently released statistics revealing the top 5 plastic surgeries performed during the last period. This provides an insight into social behaviour and the mindset changes since the “new normality” began.
Plastic Surgery is More Popular than Ever
Despite the fact that health insurance rarely covers the costs of aesthetic surgeries, the number of plastic procedures has been rapidly increasing in the last years all over the world. In 2020 alone, a whopping 12 million people underwent a plastic intervention, be it breast augmentations, liposuctions, nose reshaping, tummy tucks, or others. Some of these procedures, such as buttocks augmentations and lifts, have witnessed an increase of as much as 75% in the number of treated patients since 2015.
Why Has Plastic Surgery Become More Popular?
Given that most of these surgeries cost at least several thousand dollars, such a sharp rise is noteworthy, to say the least. Moreover, considering the why and how can lead us to better understand the world we live in. The world economy has by no means experienced any great prosperity in the last decade, so what other reasons can explain the increased interest?
1. Monetary
Actually, the first, and probably the main reason, is, in fact, monetary. Although plastic surgeries remain quite expensive, technological advances have allowed prices to decrease in comparison to thirty years ago. Patients have also become accustomed to the idea of travelling abroad to pay less for a still very high-quality operation. Hence why many Europeans choose Turkey, Americans travel to Mexico, and Japanese patients go to Thailand. Affordable medical opportunities offered by such countries have given rise to a new and flourishing multi-million-dollar industry known as medical tourism.
2. New Social Values
Another reason is that plastic surgeries are undeniably becoming less of a taboo. The idea of “growing old with dignity” (or, in other words, simply accepting your old looks while doing nothing about them), is becoming quickly out fashioned in a world where life expectancy rates do nothing but increase. Many older people feel young inside and want their appearance to match their spirit. Young people also proudly display their before-and-after transformation on social media, which used to be carefully hidden.
3. Social Media
Speaking about social media, there is no denying that, in our social-media-riddled world, beauty standards have tremendously risen. This is surely linked to the greater amount of time spent looking at ourselves in videos and photos. In the last months, this aspect of modern life has given rise to what certain medical experts have called Zoom Dysmorphia. Zoom Dysmorphia is defined as ‘the feeling of dissatisfaction arising from seeing our own face or body while looking at ourselves on a screen,’ something most of us have been exposed to via Zoom meetings due to the Covid-19 lockdown.
Most Performed Plastic Surgeries During 2020
Plastic surgery has been traditionally related to a beauty caprice affordable only by the wealthy. But most people realize that aesthetic surgeries are paramount for certain people’s quality of life. According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), these were the most performed operations in 2020:
Breast Augmentation
With 1,795,551 procedures worldwide, Breast Augmentation ranked on top as the most performed aesthetic surgery in 2020. Breasts are considered an important element of a woman’s sexuality and femininity, which explains why they are so relevant for self-esteem. The decision to undertake a breast enlargement can be due to various reasons: for instance, to enhance naturally small breasts or for breast uplift after childbirth and breastfeeding.
Liposuction
Liposuction procedures rank second in our list, with 1,704,786 surgeries in 2020. Most patients undertaking a liposuction only do so after a long time unsuccessfully trying to lose weight. Liposuctions are performed in the area between the skin and the muscle, where fat tissues are located. Fat tissues are extracted with a cannula attached to a suction device.
Eyelid Surgery
An eyelid surgery constitutes a simpler and less invasive procedure than the preceding two. It ranks third, with 1,259,839 surgeries performed worldwide in 2019. Eyes are, after all, the gates to the soul. Eyelid surgeries help improve their appearance by removing under-eye bags, dropped eyelids, and wrinkles.
Abdominoplasty
Abdominoplasty ranked fourth as the most widely performed plastic surgeries in 2020, with 924,031 operations taking place worldwide. An abdominoplasty is a surgical procedure that reduces saggy skin around the belt area, below the belly button. It is generally performed with liposuction, in order to avoid hanging skin after fat removal.
Rhinoplasty and Nose Reshaping
Be it due to breathing problems or for aesthetic reasons, nose reshaping surgeries were the fifth most performed operations worldwide in 2020, with a total of 821,890. The nose is right in the centre of the face, so any slight change operated on it can have a surprising effect in changing the whole appearance of a person.
People Prefer to Travel to Find the Best Plastic Surgery Treatments
Plastic surgery in Turkey is a fantastic idea when you find the right clinic for your operation. Thousands of patients go to Turkey every year to have cosmetic surgery procedures and achieve their beauty goals.
The number of operated patients increases every single year along with Turkish doctors’ reputation all over the world. Turkey is very reasonable when it comes to considering price/performance rates, as the cost is very affordable compared to its European, British and American counterparts.
Regulations regarding the Turkish health industry are very strict and well-monitored, unlike Mexico, the Dominican Republic or other famous countries with a plastic surgery industry. This explains Turkey’s leading position!
