People in the U.S. are getting more plastic surgery than ever before with a 5 percent increase in cosmetic procedures since 2022, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons' Annual Report, which came out in 2023. In particular, there has been a rise of minimally invasive procedures, which is largely driven by Gen Z.
In total, 25,442,640 minimally invasive cosmetic procedures—that do not require incisions in the skin—were performed in the U.S. in 2023, along with 1,575,244 cosmetic surgery procedures. Botox alone accounted for 4.7 million of these procedures, with dermal fillers accounting for another 3.4 million. And while roughly half of these "rejuvenating" procedures were done on 40 to 54-year-olds, experts also reported an increasing shift toward a younger demographic.
"Gen Z shows more of a trend toward having plastic surgery than other generations because it is more accepting of aesthetic procedures," Dr. Scot Bradley Glasberg, president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons' (ASPS) research branch, the Plastic Surgery Foundation, told Newsweek.
"Gen Z [born between 1997 and 2012] is interested mostly in minimally invasive procedures such as neuromodulator injections (known commonly as Botox) and fillers."
He added that surgeons are seeing an increasing shift toward younger patients, which he attributed largely to social media.
As well as minimally invasive treatments, there has been an uptick in certain facial procedures among this demographic, including those that the ASPS said tended to be associated with "older demographics." In 2023, Gen Z saw a 45 percent increase compared to the previous year in forehead lifts, also known as forehead rejuvenation, which is performed to improve the look of forehead wrinkles and furrowed brows.
Another striking trend was a 9 percent increase year on year in labiaplasties among this generation—that is a reduction in the size of the flaps of skin on either side of the vagina. This may reflect an increase in insecurity in the appearance of genitals, which experts suspect has been partially driven by porn and a lack of understanding around the vast variation in labia length between individuals.
Gen Z has also shown an increasing interest in "boob jobs," representing a quarter of all breast augmentation procedures in 2023, an 8 percent increase in demand year on year. Glasberg added that patients are increasingly turning to smaller implants and more subtle alterations rather than an "overdone look." Breast reductions in this age group also grew by 10 percent.
Glasberg said it was important to assess the benefits and risks before completing any cosmetic procedure and to get to know their surgeon and medical facility before being treated.
"It is important patients always see a board-certified plastic surgeon who is an expert in the field," he said. "Plastic surgery is a specialty that requires extensive training and experience to perform safely and effectively. Board certification ensures surgeons are qualified and focused on patient safety. Also, patients should make sure the facility they are treated in is accredited, which means the facility meets strict safety standards. These credentials offer the highest levels of patient safety."
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Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Pandora Dewan is a Senior Science Reporter at Newsweek based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on science, health ... Read more
