New national trend data for cosmetic surgery and treatments

Noses in Northeast, Tummy Tucks in the South, Breast Reductions in the Pacific Northwest

Despite the down economy, cosmetic procedures continue to be a hot topic across the country as people research various treatments they may consider in the future. But does where people live affect what’s hot and what’s not in cosmetic makeovers? Our geographic based search data suggests the answer is “yes.”

Here are some highlights:

• Nose jobs top in Northeast: More people in the Northeast are on the quest for the perfect nose as we found 55% more searches for rhinoplasty than in other areas.


• Southerners more apt to put face under knife: We found people in the South are roughly 30% more likely to search for traditional facelifts and related procedures than in other areas.


• Less breast is more in the Pacific Northwest?: Maybe it’s all that rain and fresh mountain air, but people in the Pacific Northwest have a relatively high rate of searches around “the girls” compared to other regions. However, searches for “breast reductions” in this region outpace others by 67%. Interestingly, those in the West (California and Hawaii) are least prone to want to reduce cleavage.


• Body slimming interest is higher in South: While there are many cosmetic procedures and treatments that can help people shed unwanted fat, those from the South appear to have a higher propensity for fat-fighting surgery as this region accounts for 20% more searches for liposuction, tummy tucks, SmartLipo and Lipodissolve. Given that states in this region are called the fattest in the nation*, this doesn’t come as a big surprise.


• Interest in wrinkle busters highest in the Mountain region: While it’s hard to walk down the street in any urban area without seeing signs at MedSpas and doctors' offices for wrinkle combaters like Botox, Juvederm, Restylane, and Sculptra, interest seems to be picking up in the less populated areas of the U.S., particularly in the Mountain region where there are 20% more searches for these procedures than in other regions.


• Perusing Pucker options highest in West: Residents in the West and Southwest are looking to perk up their pucker: both regions search for lip augmentation 40% more often than the rest of the U.S.


• Forget morning routine, more South westerners considering permanent makeup: A much less common procedure, permanent make-up, is more significantly on the minds (and possibly faces) of those in the Southwest--individuals in this area are more than two and a half times more likely to search for this procedure than any other region.

No matter where you are located, or what procedures you might be thinking of pursuing, make sure you do your research! Interest in a given treatment doesn’t always mean that treatment is right for you-- read the feedback past patients have provided on RealSelf.com. We’ve found that the most researched procedures don’t necessarily have the highest satisfaction, according to the exclusive Worth It Index.

Stay tuned for further analysis ahead.

*based on data from CalorieLab on the fattest cities 2008
 

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