SEATTLE, WA--(Marketwire - December 22, 2009) - Beyond the traditional diet and exercise New
Year's resolutions, RealSelf.com found that this year Americans are
surprisingly open to a number of quick cosmetic makeovers. If money wasn't
an issue, what would you do to improve your appearance?
According to a recent survey of 2,227 adults by Harris Interactive(1) on
behalf of RealSelf.com, more than half of all U.S. adults (54%) would
choose cosmetic work if money wasn't a concern, and of those who would have
work done, the majority (52%) would choose teeth whitening, starting the
New Year off with new-found confidence in their smile. However, just 6%
indicated a desire to get Botox to treat wrinkles. Not surprisingly, a
majority of women (67%), as well as 40% of men said they would also have
cosmetic work done.
While attaining a whiter smile topped the list, both men and women are open
to getting more significant work done. Tummy tuck surgery (29%) and
liposuction (29%) round out the top three most desired procedures. Interest
in other treatments includes:
Procedure* % of Total % of Women % of Men
---------- ---------- ----------
Teeth whitening 52 51 55
---------- ---------- ----------
Tummy tuck 29 39 13
---------- ---------- ----------
Liposuction 29 34 19
---------- ---------- ----------
Hair removal 25 31 16
---------- ---------- ----------
Face lift 14 18 6
---------- ---------- ----------
Laser skin treatment 13 16 7
---------- ---------- ----------
Cellulite treatment 12 18 1
---------- ---------- ----------
Hair replacement 11 5 20
---------- ---------- ----------
Breast implants 10 15 1
---------- ---------- ----------
Botox 6 3 8
---------- ---------- ----------
* Note: Findings in the chart are based out of adults who
would get cosmetic work done if money were not an issue.
"The New Year is an opportunity for renewal, and many use the occasion to
consider changes to their image. We found it interesting that so many are
open to a significant cosmetic surgery procedure like Tummy Tuck, in
contrast to a minimally invasive Botox injection," said Tom Seery,
president, RealSelf.com. "While cost is a major factor, cosmetic surgery
requires a much deeper set of considerations around safety and knowledge of
what to expect. To this end, at RealSelf.com you can get first-hand,
anonymous feedback and ratings from others who've gotten work done."
Male Preferences
While the aesthetics industry focuses on and caters to female patients, 40%
of men noted they would get cosmetic work if money wasn't an issue. For
those men who would have work done, the specific procedures they showed
interest in include:
-- Teeth whitening : 55% noted they would choose this treatment
-- 69% among those ages 18-34
-- Hair Replacement: 20% would want hair replacement
-- 30% among those ages 45-54
-- Hair Removal: 21% of those 18-24 want a clean look, compared to
men ages 35-44 (11%)
-- Breast Reduction: Giving new meaning to the "Manssiere," 4% of
men aged 55+ would want a breast reduction
While undoubtedly popular among Generation X, wrinkle fillers and other
face treatments did not rank high on the list when money was taken out of
the equation. Only six percent of adults who would have work done say they
would choose Botox if money wasn't an issue, although the rate among women
aged 35-44 is more than twice the level (15%). Laser skin treatments rank
slightly higher -- 13% of those who would get cosmetic work noted they
would choose this treatment, and one-fifth (20%) of adults in the West
would use lasers to improve their skin. According to RealSelf.com data from
actual patients, the average cost of Botox is less than one-fifth the cost
of laser face treatments $450 vs. $2,200.
Contrary to what might be expected, baby boomers are OK with looking their
age and are less likely than younger counterparts to elect cosmetic
treatments even if cost wasn't a factor. More than half (54%) of baby
boomers 55+ (70% of men; 41% of women) report they would not have any
cosmetic procedures, regardless of cost, compared to just 40% among those
18-34. Among the baby boomers who would choose the cosmetic route,
facelifts are the procedure of choice for those 55+ (33% of women; 13% of
men).
High Interest Doesn't Always Mean High Satisfaction
The RealSelf Worth It Index [
http://www.realself.com/was-it-worth-it]
indicates high satisfaction with tummy tuck surgery, but mixed results for
teeth whitening, which puts an emphasis on the benefit of doing research in
advance. The Worth It Index, which determines levels of satisfaction with
procedures from actual patients, tummy tuck, facelift and breast implants
are among the highest rated treatments, even with higher associated costs
and potential pain/recovery time.
RealSelf Worth It
Procedure Index Average Cost
----------------- -----------------
Teeth whitening 46 $ 417
----------------- -----------------
Tummy tuck 84 $ 8,592
----------------- -----------------
Liposuction 58 $ 5,753
----------------- -----------------
Hair removal 69 $ 1,539
----------------- -----------------
Facelift 54 $ 10,520
----------------- -----------------
Laser skin treatment 51 $ 2,240
----------------- -----------------
Cellulite treatment 32 $ 2,314
----------------- -----------------
Hair replacement 44 $ 11,420
----------------- -----------------
Breast implants 78 $ 6,631
----------------- -----------------
Botox 60 $ 461
----------------- -----------------
RealSelf.com is a free community of consumers and board-certified doctors
that offers first-hand accounts and information on nearly 300 elective
cosmetic treatments. For more details on the survey, please visit
RealSelf.com's blog:
www.RealSelf.com/blog.
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 mommy makeovers (
http://www.realself.com/Mommy-makeover/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.
About Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive is one of the world's leading custom market research
firms, leveraging research, technology, and business acumen to transform
relevant insight into actionable foresight. Known widely for the Harris
Poll and for pioneering innovative research methodologies, Harris offers
expertise in a wide range of industries including healthcare, technology,
public affairs, energy, telecommunications, financial services, insurance,
media, retail, restaurant, and consumer package goods. Serving clients in
over 215 countries and territories through our North American, European,
and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms,
Harris specializes in delivering research solutions that help us -- and our
clients -- stay ahead of what's next. For more information, please visit
www.harrisinteractive.com.
(1) Harris Interactive® fielded the survey on behalf of RealSelf.com from
November 13-17, 2009 via its QuickQuery(SM) online omnibus service,
interviewing a nationwide sample of 2,227 U.S. adults aged 18 years and
older. Data were weighted using propensity score weighting to be
representative of the total U.S. adult population on the basis of region,
age within gender, education, household income, race/ethnicity, and
propensity to be online. No estimates of theoretical sampling error can be
calculated.