More than half of minorities think the popularity of cosmetic surgery has grown among members of their racial/ethnic group in the last five years, according to those surveyed recently by the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery. The AACS survey of minorities indicates that Asian. African-American, and Hispanic cultures are comfortable with cosmetic procedures.
Cosmetic surgery is the most popular among Asians (31.4 percent of respondents), followed by Hispanics (27.4) and African-Americans (18.8). About a quarter of those surveyed knew someone of their racial/ethnic background who has had cosmetic surgery.
Top Procedures
The survey found the most top invasive procedures were:
- Facelift for Asian respondents
- Tummy tuck for Hispanic respondents
- Liposuction for African-American respondents
Ethnicity of Surgeon
More than 30 percent of those surveyed said they would search for a cosmetic surgeon of the same race/ethnicity as themselves, but 56 percent said that they believed it would be difficult to find a surgeon of the same race/ethnicity as themselves.
Reasons Deterring them from Surgery
Respondents were asked to give reasons that would affect their decision to have cosmetic surgery:
- “Cost” was the reason mostly likely to affect Hispanics decision to have surgery
- “Stigma” or “not interested” were the reasons mostly likely to affect Asians
- “Don’t need it” was the reason mostly likely to affect African-Americans
Cosmetic Surgery Not Limited to Specific Culture
“Cosmetic surgery is en vogue no matter who you are,” said Mark Berman, MD, President of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery. “Feeling better about yourself and making improvements to your looks is thankfully not limited to a specific race or culture.”
Dr. Frenzel is a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and practices cosmetic surgery in Arlington and Dallas, Texas.
