17 April 2012

Chin augmentations skyrocket

by Will Parker

The always fascinating annual statistics report from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) shows that chin augmentation is the fastest growing plastic surgery procedure - a phenomenon, speculate surgeons, sparked by a desire for success in the workplace and the increased usage of video chat technology.

According to the report, chin procedures increased across all demographics - growing more than breast augmentation, Botox and liposuction combined. Overall, the procedure skyrocketed by 71 percent - representing a 66 percent increase in women and 76 percent increase in men.

"The chin and jawline are among the first areas to show signs of aging. People are considering chin augmentation as a way to restore their youthful look just like a facelift or eyelid surgery," said ASPS President Malcolm Z. Roth. "We also know that as more people see themselves on video chat technology, they may notice that their jawline is not as sharp as they want it to be. Chin implants can make a dramatic difference."

Plastic surgeon Darrick Antell believes the ongoing tough employment market may be a driving force too. "We know that CEOs tend to be tall, attractive, good-looking people. We now know that these people also tend to have a stronger chin. As a result, people subconsciously associate a stronger chin with more authority, self-confidence and trustworthiness," he noted.

As well as chin work, wanting a competitive advantage in the workforce may be leading people to consider a host of other cosmetic facial procedures, the report noting that lip augmentations increased 49 percent and cheek implants 47 percent.

Other interesting factoids from the report include:

• Buttock implants up 43 percent on previous year.
• Women account for 91 percent of all cosmetic procedures.
• Breast reductions for men had increased nearly 10 percent on the previous year.
• Pectoral implants for men were up 43 percent on last year.

The full report can be viewed at the ASPS website.

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Source: American Society of Plastic Surgeons