Cosmetic surgery continues to be a popular choice among Americans — yet as technologies evolve, fewer people are asking for plastic surgery without the surgery part.
According to a January 30 Daily Beast article, 2014 saw the number of minimally-invasive procedures like Botox treatments close in on the number of more traditional cosmetic work like nose jobs and facelift surgery.
Last year was also the most lucrative year for the cosmetic surgery industry since the start of the recession in 2008. Patients spent more than $5 billion on these less-invasive procedures, making up for almost half of the year’s total plastic surgery spending.
The advantages of opting for a minimally-invasive procedure are clear for many patients. Getting Botox treatments to smooth out wrinkles and fine lines requires a mere fraction of the time it would take to have a facelift done, especially since there is no recovery time for injection treatments. They’re so fast, it’s even possible to have an injection treatment done on one’s lunch break.
“In the hustle and bustle of today’s society, everyone wants to have a fast recovery as quick as possible and see a result, so these less invasive-surgeries are very attractive,” Dr. Darrick Antell, an spokesperson for the American Society of Plastic Surgery, said in a statement.
Another benefit of minimally-invasive cosmetic surgery is the cost savings they offer over surgeries like breast augmentation and rhinoplasty. Theese procedures’ relatively low costs make them accessible to a wider range of incomes. Botox was the most popular quick fix last year, with a 15.6% rise in the number of people opting for these injections. Injectables on the whole rose about 13% in 2014.
The only real downside to injectable cosmetic treatments is the fact that their results aren’t permanent, the Daily Beast reports. However, this is seen as a pro, not a con, to some — it allows the patient to try on the look for a while, and still have the option to not get more treatments if he or she doesn’t like it.
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