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Despite the global economic downturn, more and more Australians, men and women, young and old, are electing to have cosmetic surgery. According to Dr. Russell Knudsen, President of the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery (ACCS), Australia’s demand for cosmetic procedures continues to rise; with College member practices increasing in 2010 from 10% to 20% .
Annual spending on cosmetic procedures in the USA increased by 9% as of September 2011, bringing the total to $12.4 billion. According to an international survey on aesthetic/cosmetic procedures, the US topped the world charts in the total number of cosmetic procedures done in 2009. Australia sits in the 22nd spot. At least 62,300 Australians underwent surgery, while 67,900 had non-surgical procedures, making a total of 130,200 procedures performed in 2009.
Australia lags behind other countries in gathering data on plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures. At this time, in fact, national statistics for the industry are not collected at all. What is certain, however, is that Australians outspend Americans in cosmetic procedures per capita with a reasonable estimate by the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) of $1 billion spent in 2011. These figures and statistics indicate the importance of youthfulness, or at least the semblance of it, especially to a vital clientele of the cosmetic industry who want to “look as young as they feel”—people over the age of 65.
Procedures most in demand from 2009 on, regardless of age or sex, were eyelid surgery, nose surgery, breast augmentation, breast lifts and liposuction. These account for about 67% of Australia’s total cosmetic surgical procedures. The president of the ACCS, Dr. Russell Knudsen, also estimated that around 16,000 breast augmentations and 15,000 liposuction procedures were performed in Australia during the past year.
Not surprisingly, women account for the majority of these procedures, specifically 92% of all surgeries performed. The top procedures for women were breast augmentation, breast reduction, liposuction, tummy tucks, and eyelid surgery. For men, the most popular cosmetic surgeries were reduction of enlarged breasts, liposuction, rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery, and cosmetic ear surgery.
Other procedures popular with Australians have been anti-wrinkle injections, fillers for lines and wrinkles and laser treatments such as photo-rejuvenation. According to the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery, Australians spend around $300 million a year on botulinum toxin for reducing lines and wrinkles, outspending Americans on the anti-wrinkle injection.
Reactions to the sums Australians spend vary widely. The Cosmetic Physicians Society of Australasia (CPSA) states that 2011 has been a good year for business. On the other hand, Professor Bob Montgomery of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) suggests that these figures point to serious underlying psychological issues, asserting, perhaps, that instead of shrinking wrinkles, Australians should be seeing shrinks!
The future of Australia’s cosmetic industry remains bright, with the demand for cosmetic procedures limited only by financial capacity. The fact is that men and women are better able to afford, and have more freedom to opt for cosmetic procedures than ever before. And with population trends showing that in the coming 40 years, seniors, who are beginning to fervently embrace cosmetic surgery, will comprise about 20% of the Australian population, the demand for cosmetic surgery is likely to soar to incredible new heights.
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