Cosmetic Surgery is booming and in all the regions of the world it is growing fastest in Asia. This counts for both domestic procedures and medical tourism, a large and booming business.
The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) published its unbelievable numbers in its ‘International Survey on Aesthetic/Cosmetic Procedures Performed in 2011’. According to ISAPS, when it comes to plastic surgeons and cosmetic procedures by countries and continents the numbers are mind-blowing. Although the US is the leader – with 1,094,146 cosmetic procedures performed in 2011 alone, countries such as Brazil (905,124), China (415,140) and Japan (372,773) are quickly picking up the pace, offering the same procedures available in the US, at the same quality, but at much lower prices.
The continental statistic of cosmetic procedures performed is surprising: Asia is the leader with – 4,336,866 procedures in 2011, followed by North America with 4,188,171, Europe with 3,544,572, South America 2,271,302, Africa with 283,964 and Oceania with 127,952 procedures.
The want-to-be-perfect craze has made cosmetic surgeons the most sought after medical practitioners – if you are a cosmetic surgeon and you have the reputation of performing the following procedures, the turnaround is ensured.
Obesity and weight loss is the biggest issue at the moment! The average Joe has the stubborn fat deposits that won’t go away with diet and exercise so Joe goes for liposuction! Yes, liposuction is the most popular cosmetic procedure worldwide, with 1,268,287 liposuctions performed in 2011 globally.
Next in line are breast augmentation (1,205,251), eyelid surgery (703,610), and the runners-up: tummy tuck (553,399), nose surgery (478,023), breast lift (444,222), breast reduction (428,129) and facelift (308,926).
A patient might pay around $5,000 for liposuction in the US, while the same procedure will cost around $2,000 in Turkey and Thailand, $2,800 in South Korea and around $2,000 in India. The breast augmentation procedure costs a whooping $8,000 in the UK and $7,000 in the US, but only $3,000 in Brazil, $2,800 in India, $3,800 in Mexico, $3,100 in Thailand and $4,000 in Turkey.
Eyelid surgery, the third most chosen cosmetic procedure in the world, will take $5,500 out of your pocket in the US and the UK, but $2,000 in Brazil, $1,800 in Costa Rica, $1,500 in India, $1,300 in Mexico, $1,100 in South Korea and $1,600 in Thailand.