Survey Finds That Women Are More Likely to Consider Plastic Surgery Than They Were...

Survey Finds That Women Are More Likely to Consider Plastic Surgery Than They
Were Ten Years Ago, But Men Are Less Likely

NEW YORK, March 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new survey shows that more
than half (56%) of all Americans approve of cosmetic plastic surgery and
nearly one-third (30%) say they would consider having cosmetic surgery
themselves, either now or in the future. The February 2009 consumer attitudes
poll of 1000 American households was commissioned by the American Society for
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) and conducted by the independent research
firm Synovate.

Women are more likely than men to contemplate cosmetic surgery; 40% of women
said they would consider having cosmetic surgery, compared to 18% of men. But
many of those who might not want surgery themselves say it has nothing to do
with what others might think. Almost three-quarters (73%) of all women and 69%
of all men said that if they had cosmetic surgery, they would not be
embarrassed if other people knew about it.

Opinion 2009 2000

Americans' general approval of cosmetic surgery

Women 62% 61%
Men 51% 63%

Would not be embarrassed about having cosmetic surgery

Women 73% 77%
Men 69% 77%

Would consider cosmetic surgery for self, now or in the future

Women 40% 31%
Men 18% 20%

Would consider cosmetic surgery for self, now or in the future, by
race/ethnicity [includes both men and women]

White Americans 29% 26%
Non-White Americans 31% 24%

Other key findings of the study include:

-- The majority of men and women (73 percent) have not wavered on their
attitude toward cosmetic surgery in the past five years; although 20
percent said their attitude was 'more favorable' and 7 percent
that said their attitude was 'less favorable' than it was five
years ago.
-- Out of all age groups, men and women between the ages of 25 and 34 are
the most likely to consider plastic surgery for themselves now or in
the
future.
-- Men and women age 18 to 24, at 65 percent, are the most likely to
approve of cosmetic surgery, while those age 55-64, at only 49
percent,
are the least likely to show approval.
-- Ethnicity has little effect as to whether respondents would be
embarrassed if people outside their immediate family and close friends
knew they had cosmetic surgery. Exactly the same percentage (71%) of
white respondents and nonwhite respondents said they would not be
embarrassed.

According to 2008 ASAPS Cosmetic Surgery Statistics, last year women had more
than 9.3 million cosmetic procedures (92 percent of total), and men had over
800,000 procedures (8 percent of total). Overall, the number of surgical and
nonsurgical cosmetic procedures decreased 12 percent from 2007. To access the
complete 2008 ASAPS Statistics go to
http://www.surgery.org/press/statistics-2008.php.

SOURCE American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Adeena Babbitt or Dina Khiry, +1-212-921-0500, media@surgery.org, both of
American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery