Aesthetic medicine and surgery are becoming increasingly accessible. Some procedures such as breast surgery are still as popular, while others have more and more amateurs: blepharoplasty, liposuction, lipofilling… And although women are still the biggest consumers, aesthetic surgery and medicine are attracting more and more men.
But what are the trends for each country? Is the relationship between patients and aesthetic surgery the same elsewhere as in France? What is the French Touch? Focus on trends in aesthetic surgery worldwide.
Aesthetic medicine and surgery: figures and trends
In 2018, according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), the top procedures performed worldwide were breast augmentation, followed by liposuction and eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty), then abdominoplasty and rhinoplasty. The number of aesthetic procedures has also increased since 2017. The top procedure for men is gynecomastia (an operation to reduce breasts).
This survey also estimates that the international medical and surgical aesthetics market will be multiplied by 3 in 10 years. According to the data published by the IMCAS at its world congress held every year, annual growth over the period 2018-2023 will be 8%.
There are two trends in terms of non-surgical techniques (aesthetic medicine) that are continuously growing in importance: the success of injections (botox, hyaluronic acid, skin boosters), and that of non-surgical body sculpting appliances such as lasers, ultrasound, radiofrequency, and cryolipolysis.
Aesthetic surgery: trends by country
Per capita, the most aesthetic surgery procedures are carried out in Asia.
In 2018, Brazil officially overtook the United States for the number of aesthetic surgical procedures carried out with nearly 1.5 million operations per year. Conversely, if we add non-surgical medical aesthetic procedures, the USA is still ahead with breast surgery and a huge appetite for botulinum toxin and hyaluronic acid injections.
They are closely followed by Mexico. Latin America is especially partial to aesthetic surgery and there is a real body cult. Curiously, Germany is in 4th place.
France, however, is not in the top 10 but is seeing good growth.
In Asia: change at all costs
In South Korea, there is a real beauty and aesthetic surgery cult, which has almost become what we could call a national obsession, guaranteeing social recognition at all levels.
Women who look good can marry a rich man, and for a man, the « beauty » (all things being relative) of his future wife is essential.
From the point of view of physicians, moving to aesthetic surgery is the assurance of being rich and obtaining the social recognition that goes with it, something that is very important in Asia.
On TV, on billboards, and in magazines, there are adverts for aesthetic surgery everywhere, particularly in South Korea and Taiwan. Buying yourself a new face is almost a routine act, preferably a Hollywoodian or Caucasian face but certainly not Asian.
Indeed, beauty standards in Asia are primarily Western: the skin must be white, the eyes round with a visible upper eyelid, the nose straight and long, and the body slim… Undergoing surgery is far from taboo but more a ritual, even a foregone conclusion, the standardization of beauty… which is quite worrying.
So, undergoing eyelid surgery is one of the most common procedures requested along with nose lengthening, as well as jaw surgery (to create a V shape with a small pointed chin).
This phenomenon linking social recognition and surgery also affects other Asian countries such as China. This is reflected in the peak in aesthetic surgical procedures during the summer: those just entering the labor market take the opportunity to change their appearance to increase their chances of being recruited after the summer holidays…
Latin America: the body cult
Land of carioca and suntanned bodies with toned skin, Brazil is the champion of aesthetic surgery. What is considered perfection…? Round breasts, well-rounded buttocks, and a very slim waist. So it is not surprising that breast augmentation is the most common surgical procedure and that BBL (Brazilian Butt Lift) is more than just a trend. This buttock surgery combines liposuction around the waist and love handles and the reinjection of this fat to increase the volume of the buttocks and also reshape the silhouette. This craze has been more particularly popularized by celebrities such as the Kardashian sisters, and many others since.
Fortunately, it is possible to achieve a perfectly natural Brazilian Butt Lift, in other words, a result that is harmonious and blends in perfectly with the silhouette. This surgery is permanent so it is better to opt for a result that will stand the test of time and trends, is it not?
France: the art of the French Touch
France is way behind regarding the number of aesthetic surgical procedures per year, even though it is experiencing growth in the field just like everywhere else worldwide. However, proportionally to the number of inhabitants, the number of operations in France is quite high.
It is above all our approach that is different, which is probably because the French are both very refined, focused on aesthetics and a natural look, and quite reluctant to talk openly about the procedures they undergo. Even though medical and surgical aesthetics are becoming increasingly accessible, particularly for the new generation, the French are relatively unanimous: they want discretion.
And that’s lucky because French surgeons advocate discretion and carry out more subtle, muted aesthetic surgery, always in pursuit of a natural result and the complete opposite of standardized beauty. In short, the French Touch is to aesthetics what Haute Couture is to fashion: customization, know-how, and elegance.
To be yourself but better, and above all age well.