Almost Half of Americans Approve of Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Regardless of Income

NEW YORK, March 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new survey shows that almost half (48%) of all Americans regardless of income approve of cosmetic plastic surgery and almost a quarter would consider cosmetic surgery for themselves.  According to the February 2010 report, 48% of respondents with an income of under $25K approve of cosmetic surgery (52% of respondents with an income between $25K-$50K approve, 55% of respondents with an income between $50K-$75K approve, and 62% of respondents with an income above $75K approve) and 23% of the respondents who earn under $25K would consider cosmetic surgery for themselves.  

"Twenty years ago people thought only movie stars and rich women had plastic surgery; now people in every income bracket know someone who has had a plastic surgery procedure or would consider plastic surgery for themselves.  Even in this difficult economic time, people are willing to invest in the things that improve their quality of life," said Renato Saltz, MD, President of The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS). "Feeling good about the way they look is high on the list of priorities for many Americans."

Other key findings of the study include:

• Among all Americans, 73% of women and 66% of men said they would not be embarrassed if others knew they had cosmetic surgery
• 37% of women would consider cosmetic surgery as compared to 19% of men.
• Most Americans (71 percent) said their attitude toward cosmetic surgery had not changed in the last five years, though 19% said it was 'more favorable.'
• 30% of married and 27% of unmarried Americans would consider cosmetic surgery for themselves now or in the future
• Out of all age groups, men and women between the ages of 35 and 40 are the most likely to consider plastic surgery for themselves now or in the future (35%).
• Men and women are close in their approval of cosmetic surgery, with women showing a higher (59 percent) approval rating than men (51 percent).
• 30% of white and 22% of non white Americans say they would consider cosmetic surgery for themselves now or in the future.

The study was commissioned by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) and conducted by the independent research firm Synovate.

According to 2009 ASAPS Cosmetic Surgery Statistics, women had more than 9 million cosmetic procedures (91 percent of total) and men had more than 900,000 procedures (9 percent of total). Overall, the number of surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic procedures decreased 2 percent from 2008. To access the complete 2009 ASAPS Statistics Click Here.

About ASAPS

The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery is the leading organization of board-certified plastic surgeons specializing in cosmetic plastic surgery.  ASAPS active-member plastic surgeons are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.  www.surgery.org

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SOURCE American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery