NEW YORK, May 11 ― At a standstill for several weeks in 2020 due to pandemic-linked restrictions, plastic and cosmetic surgery procedures are generating growing interest around the world, and could even boom in 2021. In the United States, many women are considering certain procedures in particular, especially to erase some of the damage done by long periods of lockdown and social distancing.

Figures indicate that plastic and esthetic surgery procedures have been continually on the rise for the past several years. This growth was stopped in its tracks by the Covid-19 pandemic, as successive lockdowns and social distancing measures have meant that most procedures have seen a decline. However, this stoppage looks to only be temporary, as some procedures are attracting intense interest as the pandemic declines in various areas around the world.

As it does every year, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), the world's largest plastic surgery organisation, which counts nearly 8,000 members, has released data on plastic surgery in the United States for the year 2020, along with a national survey of more than 1,000 women conducted by Equation Research to determine which procedures will be most in demand in 2021. One finding from the document is that ASPS-certified plastic surgeons reported stopping elective surgeries for an average of 8.1 weeks in 2020 due to the pandemic, or for 15 per cent of the year.

Liposuction to counter the damage done by staying at home

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The survey found that 11 per cent of women surveyed during the pandemic indicated that they were more interested in plastic surgery and non-surgical procedures than they were before Covid-19. This figure climbs to 24 per cent for those who have already had procedures. More than one-third of respondents who have already had cosmetic surgery or minimally invasive procedures (35 per cent) plan to spend more on treatments in 2021 than they did the previous year.

While video conferencing initially led to a boom in demand for facial procedures, the picture seems to have changed considerably for those planning to get a procedure within six months. Tummy tucks (22 per cent) and liposuction (17 per cent) now appear to be the most sought-after procedures. The ASPS attributes this to more frequent weight fluctuations during the periods of quarantine and staying at home.

Rush on implants for the derriere

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Looking at the US plastic surgery statistics presented by ASPS, with a few exceptions, all cosmetic surgical and minimally invasive cosmetic procedures registered a decline for the year 2020 ― even the most popular ones such as botulinum toxin injections with more than 4.4 million procedures (down 13 per cent in 2020).

However, one cosmetic surgery procedure seems to be doing very well: buttock implants. A genuine trend, inspired by Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner, or a response to weeks spent working from home on a couch, buttock implants jumped by 22 per cent in 2020. A figure to be taken with a grain of salt since it only represents 1179 procedures, but which testifies to a real desire for perfectly curved posteriors. ― ETX Studio