It seems like there is a procedure for just about everything these days, from classic surgeries like fat-reducing liposuction to more niche techniques like a “grin lift” or eyelash transplant or “dimpleplasty” to create divots on the cheeks. That said, most plastic surgery procedures, from New Jersey to California, loosely fall into one of three categories: face, body, and breasts.
Body Procedures
According to a survey by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the most popular plastic procedure of 2023 was liposuction. Because of its versatility, it can be used on the face and breasts for certain procedures, but it is primarily seen as a body procedure because it so often focuses on the belly, flanks, back, chest, buttocks, and even arms and legs.
Some patients seek liposuction as a weight-loss procedure, but it is important to note that the surgery is for cosmetic purposes only. The amount of fat removed in a session is enough to make a visible difference, but it will not result in a dramatic drop in weight. Also, fat cells suctioned out during the procedure are shallow subcutaneous fat cells. Weight loss to improve health via lifestyle changes is intended to impact the deeper visceral fat cells, which surround organs.
The third most popular cosmetic surgery procedure in the country in 2023 was also a body procedure: tummy tuck, technically known as abdominoplasty. This procedure involves removing excess skin that gives the belly a “loose” and flabby look, and may also include tightening separated abdominal muscles and removing stubborn fat cells.
Other body procedures performed around the country include buttock augmentation and lifts, upper arm lifts, lower body lifts, labiaplasty, and thigh lifts.
Breast Procedures
While there have been many years breast augmentation sat in the top spot as the most popular procedure in the United States, 2023 saw it in second place. This procedure involves adding volume to the breasts to make them larger. The new volume typically comes in the form of a silicone-shelled implant filled with either saline or a silicone gel.
The fourth most popular procedure of the survey year was a breast lift, which removes excess skin and reposition the breast tissue that has stretched out, allowing the breasts to sag and point downward. Surgically lifting the breasts allows them to sit higher on the chest. This procedure may also involve “repositioning” the nipples so that they do not point toward the patient’s feet.
Other breast procedures include breast implant removal, as well as both female and male breast reduction. Male breast reduction is performed to address a condition known as gynecomastia.
Face Procedures
In the fifth spot for 2023 was a face procedure: an eyelid lift, technically called blepharoplasty. Eyelid lifting surgery can be performed on one or both upper eyelids, one or both lower eyelids, or any combination of all four.
Upper lid blepharoplasty addresses excess skin and tissues, which can give the eyes a constantly sleepy look and even intrude into the field of vision. Lower lid blepharoplasty reduces the pouchy and puffy look that can develop below the eyes. It also corrects a lower lid that has begun to pull away from the eye, exposing the pink inside of the lid.
Other face procedures offered throughout the United States include facelifts, rhinoplasty (nose surgery), facial fat grafting, neck lifts, a “forehead lift,” cheek implants, chin augmentation, and surgery to make the ears less prominent and more symmetrical.
More Options for Patients
Minimally invasive treatments, while far more popular than their surgical counterparts, represent the most popular options by far each year. Patients who have lost significant weight on GLP-1 agonists can unfortunately see loss of facial volume, muscle mass loss, and loss of elasticity of their skin. Fortunately, there are non-invasive treatments to improve the elasticity, such as Sofwave and Exion. There are also treatments for muscle mass loss, such as Emface and Emsculpt. While injectables number in the millions of treatments performed—compared to the hundreds of thousands of the most popular surgical choices—the results tend to not be as dramatic or long-lasting as the surgical procedures.
That said, there does seem to be something for just about everyone—even those who want to get dimples where they didn’t have any before.