SEATTLE – Jan. 9, 2012 – How’s this for a New Year’s resolution: “make my butt look bigger!” This could be the rallying cry for millions of women, as according to RealSelf, a popular reviews and information site for medical-beauty treatments, searches for butt augmentations lifted 39% in 2011*, making it the fastest moving topic on the site in terms of overall consumer interest.

“Anytime we see a big spike in searches at our website for a particular procedure, this points to a dramatic increase in consumer attention. In 2011 lifting and enhancing the butt topped the list, and we foresee this holding strong for 2012 as well,” said Alicia Nakamoto, VP of Community for RealSelf, which provides real life discussion and insight for more than 250 cosmetic procedures. “There are some definite pop culture cues driving this trend – take the royal wedding for example – and where the waif look was once in, women now want to know how to get a fuller backside!”

Rounding out butt enhancement surgeries, RealSelf analyzed more than 20 million searches performed at its site in 2011 to find the biggest movers in terms of consumer interest, indicating these will also be the hot trends to watch in 2012. The top five movers are:

1. Butt Enhancements (up 39%) – one of the most popular such treatments is the Brazilian Butt Lift, which transfers a patient’s own fat cells to enhance the shape and size of the buttocks, as seen in the before and after gallery here: bit.ly/RealSelfBrazilianButtLift. The procedure scores a 90% “Worth It” rating by RealSelf community members who have undergone the treatment and costs an average of $7,624, according to RealSelf data.

2. Eyelid Surgery (up 26%) – involves surgically smoothing out and lifting the skin around the eye area. Worth It Score: 74%. Average Cost: $4,268.

3. Lip Augmentation (up 25%) – aimed at temporarily plumping the skin and smoothing nearby wrinkles through chemical filler injections. Worth It Score: 56%. Average Cost: $1,619

4. Liposuction Alternatives (up 28%) – includes non-surgical approaches to fat reduction, and was led by increased interest in a new technology called CoolSculpting, which uses controlled cooling to eliminate fat cells. Worth It Score: 75%. Average Cost: $1,730.

5. Wrinkle Freezers (up 11%) – Botox is the most widely known option for this treatment performed on the face, which involves using botulinum toxin injections to block communication between nerve endings and the muscles responsible for the deep wrinkles, thus temporarily “freezing” the wrinkles. Botox Worth It Score: 65%. Average Cost: $487.

To learn more about specific cosmetic procedures – including before and after images, treatment overviews, Worth It ratings, average costs and even questions and answers with board-certified physicians – visit www.realself.com/reviews. 

About RealSelf
RealSelf is the most visited online community for learning about and sharing information and results for medical-beauty treatments. Dedicated to helping people make suitable and empowered elective decisions, the site features consumer reviews, Worth It ratings, pricing information, and thousands of before and after photographs that collectively tell the ‘real story.’ The site also includes safety information and a Q&A with more than 3,500 board-certified doctors so visitors can interact with qualified experts and make safe decisions. RealSelf covers thousands of topics ranging from cosmetic dermatology to plastic surgery, cosmetic dentistry vision correction and more. www.realself.com

*Based on all searches performed at www.realself.com Oct. 1, 2011 through Dec. 31, 2011, as compared to the nine months of the year.

Editor’s Note: RealSelf.com can provide vast data analytics by specific treatments and geographical regions for your reporting purposes. To request data please email realself@duopr.com. 

Media Contact:
Kristen Hamilton
Duo PR, for RealSelf
206-838-4952 | realself@duopr.com