The most popular plastic surgery procedures by age
Breast augmentation, liposuction and blepharoplasty top the lists

When you look at the most frequently performed plastic surgery procedures, according to the 2024 ASPS Plastic Surgery Statistics Report, there are standouts. Liposuction reigned supreme, followed by breast augmentation.

Yet, the numbers paint a more nuanced picture when you look at the most popular procedures for each age group. The data can tell us a lot about the features we zero in on at different stages in our lives and about how our approach to appearance evolves as we age.

"There has been a shift in the American aesthetic," said C. Bob Basu, MD, MBA, MPH, FACS. "GLP-1s and the weight loss revolution have touch points throughout all the different age demographics. People feel better and they want to look as good as they feel."

When you're younger, that can mean "a focus on self-image defining procedures," said Adam Kolker, MD. "But that clock ticks away, and we can run, but we can never hide from genetics and gravity."

Rejuvenation procedures come into the forefront – and so, for example, even though breast augmentation was the most popular procedure for patients in their 20s and 30s, these two groups have other unique aesthetic goals.

"My patients have aged with me," said Marc Mofid, MD, and he's seen their preferences change over time. Where he might have done a hundred primary breast augmentations per year two decades ago, now he's more likely to perform liposuction, blepharoplasty or even implant removal with a breast lift for someone who wants a more streamlined silhouette after the weight gain that can come with age and menopause.

Patients who Melissa Doft, MD, operated on ten years ago might come back to her practice and say, "I had my implants [done by you, and] I was so happy. Can you do my eyes?"

Regardless of age or procedure, "the take-home with any of these is that it's got to be uniquely tailored," said Lyle Leipziger, MD. There might be clear trends by age, but "there's no one size fits all."

19 and under: Breast reduction

See those words and you might think, "My god, who would choose elective aesthetic surgery as a teenager? But there are a few things going on," said Dr. Kolker. "Number one is relief of physical symptoms – and that's really important – and there's another layer to it, which is psychosocial well-being."

Breast reduction surgery consistently tops the list of most-sought after cosmetic procedures for teens because "it really interferes with a young woman's sense of self-esteem when they have extremely large breasts and they're getting funny looks, can't fit into gym clothing, can't even wear a tight-fitting shirt," said Dr. Mofid, who performs about one breast reduction surgery a month for patients 19 and under.

It might not sound like a lot, but "do that month over month for 20 years, and it seems like it's a fairly common issue," said Dr. Mofid.

Some plastic surgeons won't operate on anyone under 18, but when it comes to certain procedures, including breast reduction, "I don't have a problem with it," said Dr. Mofid. "I do it not uncommonly." (Teenagers make up one percent of plastic surgery patients overall and seven percent of aesthetic breast reduction patients, according to ASPS data.)

The way breast reduction surgery can improve a young patient's quality of life is remarkable: "It is really one of the most transformative procedures in plastic surgery," says Dr. Leipziger. "A recent 18-year-old breast reduction patient was in with her mom a couple of weeks ago, and her mom told me, 'My God, this has been a life-changing experience for my daughter, thank you so much – she can wear clothes that fit her body. She feels so much better about herself, not having to deal with the weight and size and sag of the breast.'"

20s: Breast augmentation

When you hit your 20s, maybe you're living on your own and making your own money for the first time. You might finally have the freedom and finances to address "something that's been a source of insecurity for many, many years," said Dr. Doft.

For the 20-something set, that most often means a breast augmentation – while these patients represent just nine percent of all plastic surgery patients, they got 16 percent of all breast augmentations in 2024, according to ASPS data.

"You're fully developed now, and maybe you've been waiting and waiting [for your cup size to increase], and if it hasn't happened by now, it's probably not going to happen," said Dr. Doft.

Doing something about it "might be one of the first decisions you're making for yourself as an adult." (Silicone implants are FDA approved for ages 22 and up.)

The size of the implants that patients request is generally smaller now than it was ten or 20 years ago.

"Everybody's different, but even the patients who want a fuller augmentation want a natural look and feel," said Dr. Basu. "Even in Texas – and the saying is, 'Everything is bigger in Texas' – we are seeing a downshift in what bigger means to women."

He's heard patients use the words "natural" and "proportionate" a lot more frequently to describe their goals, "even down here in Texas."

In general, the look patients are going for is more athletic now: "People are dieting, they're exercising, they're taking great care of themselves and they want breast augmentation that matches their body," said Dr. Leipziger.

30s: Breast augmentation

Speaking in broad strokes, there are two main types of patients in this group: The one who thought about breast augmentation in their 20s and "sort of waited five or ten years," said Dr. Leipziger. And the patient who has had children.

"They may be in their late 30s and may come in and say, 'Okay, I've had two or three kids, and my breasts are not the same as they were in my 20s. I loved my breasts in my 20s, and although I love my children, my breasts have certainly changed,'" said Dr. Leipziger.

The post-pregnancy breast augmentation patient is "a totally different story – it is about a restoration of their breasts," agreed Dr. Doft. "Sometimes they want to be bigger than they were before," she said, but more often they want to get back to what they had in their 20s. "They don't necessarily want to be defined by their breasts, and I think that's a wonderful statement."

After pregnancy, patients might experience glandular hypomastia and glandular hypomastia ptosis, and that will cause them to lose volume and notice drooping (respectively), said Dr. Kolker. These changes happen because of the yo-yoing kind of "increase, decrease, increase, decrease in the breast" both during and after pregnancy, which can be exacerbated if someone breastfeeds, Dr. Kolker explained.

"The skin is going to stretch with those changes, and the breast gland itself is going to have some changes, most often a decrease in volume," said Dr. Kolker. "A breast augmentation treats the loss of volume, but it doesn't treat droop, so the combination of a breast lift (or mastopexy) with augmentation starts to ramp up dramatically in the mid to late 30s." Patients in their 30s got 37 percent of all breast augmentations in 2024 and 26 percent of all breast lifts, according to ASPS data.

Exciting advancements in breast implants during the past year have also helped drive augmentation numbers, added Dr. Doft, referring to the newest silicone implant by Motiva and the way it's "changing how we think about implants, and challenging us to think about whether we really need to place implants under the muscle."

Most plastic surgeons in the United States place half the implant under the muscle and half under the breast gland for two reasons – a natural-looking transition between skin and implant, and to reduce capsular contracture rates. But, Dr. Doft said, if Motiva implants have a low capsular contracture rate already, "do we really need to go under the muscle? You could argue that whenever you're disturbing the muscle, there's going to be some effect. I think it's not measurable for most people, but you could potentially make recovery a little easier if you place the implant above the muscle."

It can help alleviate the feeling of pressure during the recovery phase, which typically resolves during the course of a weekend, "but may make more of a difference with larger implants," said Dr. Doft.

40 to 55: Liposuction

"When you transition into the 40s crowd, we're talking about people who've gone through life changes – had kids, families – and typically that's where body contouring comes into play," said Dr. Basu. "And liposuction is a mainstay procedure for body contouring for both men and women."

This is the age where your metabolism really starts to slow down and your hormone levels shift, a double whammy that causes "a change in how weight is distributed in your body," said Dr. Doft. "You're seeing it in different places, and it's harder to lose weight."

Pregnancy, perimenopause and menopause can all cause a "fatty redistribution," explained Dr. Kolker. Men have their own version of it: "Dad bod," said Dr. Kolker, because "changes in male hormonal levels are also going to have an impact."

Liposuction, the most popular plastic surgery procedure of 2024, is especially common among patients aged 40 to 55, who received 45 percent of all liposuction procedures last year.

Some patients are candidates for liposuction all over, but "the best liposuction patient is somebody who is exercising, eating right and just has one or two stubborn areas," said Dr. Doft.

These are usually the lumbar flank area (meaning the love handles) and the trochanteric thigh area (the saddle bags), which are well-suited to liposuction because the skin is relatively thick and elastic. Where the skin is a bit thinner, like the arms or inner thighs, liposuction may still be possible, but "you have to be a little bit more ginger with it, or sometimes cellulite is going to be[come] visible in the area because you're taking away some of the stuffing underneath," said Dr. Kolker. "It's almost like if you have an upholstered sofa and you take some of the stuffing out of it, it's going to look different on the outside."

Another reason liposuction numbers are so high is that it's commonly combined with other body contouring procedures. If patients have a tummy tuck, a breast lift or a lift elsewhere on the body, for example, they might get liposuction at the same time on the love handles or chest (for men), or the waist, flanks or bulge of fat between the bra and armpit (for women) – "those pesky trouble spots," said Dr. Basu. "Some areas on our bodies are simply resistant to weight loss."

Treating these with liposuction "is a great way to get rid of stubborn areas of fat, so that patients can gain and lose weight a little more uniformly," said Dr. Doft, adding that liposuction can also be the answer to "this idea of weight creep – that we gain an extra two pounds every year, and if you've been doing that since 35 and now you're 45 or 50, that's an extra 15 or 20 pounds."

However, sometimes the areas where patients most want liposuction aren't well suited for it – specifically, on the stomach after pregnancy or for touch-ups after losing weight on GLP-1s. In both cases, the skin might be slack, "and if you've got a little bit of extra skin, liposuction often causes more harm than good," cautioned Dr. Kolker.

Many patients ask about liposuction on the stomach, but "a tummy tuck is the solution to postpartum changes in the midsection," said Dr. Kolker.

55 and up: Blephoraplasty

"In your 50s and 60s, people are feeling healthier, but you start seeing [more] signs of aging," said Dr. Basu. "For men, the big concern is, 'I've got bags under my eyes. I got eight hours of sleep, and people still think I'm tired.' For women, it's, 'I'm having trouble putting on my eyeliner or makeup' because of the folding of the skin on the lids, or 'I look tired.'"

These are patients who might have previously "kicked the can down the road to keep looking good with Botox or fillers," added Dr. Leipziger, and now they may be looking for something more. That something more is often blepharoplasty. Patients aged 55 to 69 received 56 percent of all blepharoplasties last year, according to ASPS data.

This is the age when people start to get "extra hooding" on the upper lids, or bags under their eyes, said Dr. Doft. Some people are more prone to puffiness than others, but "everybody experiences it to some small degree eventually, and it's all related to the atrophy of fat," said Dr. Kolker.

When you lose some of the fat that smooths the transition between the under eyes and the tops of the cheeks, bags become noticeable.

"Blepharoplasty is the only thing that can get rid of the bags under the eyes, and it makes you seem less tired at the end of the day," said Dr. Doft.

People are retiring later, adds Dr. Basu, and they "want to be taken seriously and not look like the grandpa in the boardroom – that's a big driver for men and women who are still in the workforce. They have a lot to offer and they don't want loose skin or bags or the hooding that naturally occurs for all of us to get in the way."

Blepharoplasty is a relatively quick and painless procedure – many patients stop pain medication after the first day, and bruising lasts for about 10 days. There are different kinds of blepharoplasty. Procedures on the upper lid can be done under local anaesthetic, and ones for the undereye might entail a small incision hidden in the lower lash line or "the scarless technique," said Dr. Basu, in which a surgeon removes fat through the inside of the lower lid.

It all makes blepharoplasty an appealing option, including for older patients who might not want bigger surgeries like facelifts. Patients aged 70 and up – who represent five percent of all plastic surgery patients, and got 16 percent of all blepharoplasties performed last year, according to ASPS data – might "opt for eyelid surgery because they feel great, they want to look as good as they feel," explained Dr. Basu.

Blepharoplasty can also be a way for facelift-curious patients to test out the plastic surgery waters, said Dr. Mofid. "They're candidates for facial rejuvenation procedures like a facelift," he explained, but they might be hesitant to make that big of a change or to "indulge themselves by doing a full face and neck lift – older generations have spent their entire life saving for retirement, for their children, for their grandchildren."

For these patients, a $3,500 to $5,000 blepharoplasty might be more palatable than a $30,000+ facelift. For others, once they've had a blepharoplasty and are happy with the results, they've "ascertained [plastic surgery] is a safe thing to do for yourself, and now can do everything else," said Dr. Mofid, and the facelift is usually the next stop. "I get that a lot."

So does Dr. Leipziger: "I have patients who come in for their eyes, and they really need a facelift. They say, 'Let's just do my eyes, and we'll see.' Almost every one of those patients comes back within a year and says, 'Well, you were right.'"

To find a qualified plastic surgeon for any cosmetic or reconstructive procedure, consult a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. All ASPS members are board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, have completed an accredited plastic surgery training program, practice in accredited facilities and follow strict standards of safety and ethics. Find an ASPS member in your area.