SEATTLE, WA--(Marketwire - November 12, 2009) - Considering a nip or tuck or tempering worry
lines and want to know if others were satisfied with their own results?
Curious which treatments are actually worth the price tag? RealSelf.com
uncovers consumer opinions about the most popular elective cosmetic
treatments and plastic surgeries and, using the site's exclusive Worth It
Index, providing unique insight into whether or not the results justify the
cost.
RealSelf.com is a free community of consumers and board-certified doctors
that offers first-hand accounts and information on more than 300 elective
cosmetic treatments, everything from Botox and Breast Implants to Latisse
eyelash lengthener and Liposuction and more. With the RealSelf Worth It
Index, anyone contemplating a cosmetic procedure can get free access to
reviews and ratings based on input from approximately 10,000 men and women
who have undergone particular cosmetic treatments and answered the simple
question, "Was it worth it?" The Index rates treatments from 1-100 (lowest
to highest), and the top 20 rated treatments on RealSelf.com are:
Rank Treatment Worth It Index (%) Average Cost
1 Latisse 88 $124
2 Tummy tuck 84 $8,661
3 Breast reduction 82 $9,683
4 Facelift 82 $10,806
5 Lasik 81 $3,206
6 Invisalign 80 $4,687
7 Breast implants 77 $6,691
8 Photofacial 74 $893
9 Laser hair removal 71 $1,551
10 Smart Lipo 70 $5,384
11 Vaser Liposuction 69 $5,108
12 Rhinoplasty 68 $5,679
13 Perlane 66 $971
14 Eyelid surgery 65 $4,292
15 Permanent makeup 64 $597
16 Botox 64 $454
17 Breast lift 63 $7,247
18 Revision rhinoplasty 62 $6,080
19 Liposuction 61 $5,614
20 Microdermabrasion 61 $363
"We've found that people are generally satisfied with the results of their
cosmetic treatment, with 62 percent of RealSelf members reporting their
procedure as 'worth it'," said Tom Seery, founder and CEO, RealSelf.com.
"Our data reveals that the most popular treatments aren't necessarily the
most effective by patient standards. The transparency offered by real-world
experiences and ratings helps anyone considering a cosmetic change deepen
their understanding of the options and alternatives."
Most Effective Treatments by Body Area
For those interested in changing the appearance of a particular area of the
body or addressing "trouble spots," RealSelf.com makes it easy to compare a
variety of services that range from surgical procedures to non-invasive
options that can vary widely in results and cost. Some of the most common
body concerns include:
-- Breasts: Breast implants have the most ratings of any procedure on
RealSelf (and a high Worth It rating of 77%), but women who have taken
their girls down a notch with a breast reduction have a higher rate of
satisfaction (82% Worth It Index).
-- Face: Anti-wrinkle treatments like Botox and Restylane have a high
number of reviews, but reported results and Worth It rating is just
slightly above average for each treatment (64% and 57%). When it comes to
addressing the aging face, it seems like nothing beats the old fashioned
facelift, which has the highest Worth It index for facial procedures with
82%. Interestingly, branded procedures, like Lifestyle Lift and Thermage,
rank the lowest with respective Worth It Ratings of just 29% and 38%.
-- Lower Body: Most forms of fat removal are rated relatively high, from
laser liposuction (Smart lipo at 70%) and liposuction surgery at 61%. Tummy
Tuck is also a highly rated and reviewed procedure (84% Worth It rating).
-- Eyes: Latisse eyelash lengthener is the new kid on the block, and it
has quickly become the favored treatment for those looking to give their
eyes a new look. But seeing is important too, as the significant majority
of RealSelf users are satisfied with the results of vision correction --
Lasik has an 81% rating. Getting an eyelift with eyelid surgery
(Blepharoplasty) comes in at 65%.
-- Smile: Adult braces appear to have come a long way with Invisalign --
it's considered relatively painless and moderately priced, and gets a Worth
It rating of 80%. While people are always looking to whiten their smile,
popular treatments like Brite Smile and Zoom have Index ratings below 50%
(45% and 43%).
On RealSelf.com these first-hand accounts are presented alongside opinions
from board-certified doctors, giving consumers a more complete picture of
the financial, emotional and physical impact undergoing any type of
cosmetic change.
"Research is vital for those evaluating cosmetic treatments -- unlike
reviews of a restaurant or a hotel, there is little room for error when it
comes to your body," continued Seery. "Doing your homework, including
discussing the procedure with a doctor, reviewing all materials related to
cost and recovery, and getting a personal account from someone who has gone
through it, makes a tremendous impact on the initial decision making and
ultimately the overall success and satisfaction with the treatment."
About RealSelf.com
RealSelf.com is an unbiased resource to find and share information about
cosmetic treatments. RealSelf.com helps consumer make the right decisions
for treatments ranging from Botox (
http://www.realself.com/Botox/reviews)
to liposuction (
http://www.realself.com/Liposuction/reviews) to laser hair
removal (
http://www.realself.com/Laser-hair-removal/reviews). The
privately-held company is based in Seattle. For more information, visit
www.RealSelf.com.