When one tries to identify the most popular types of cosmetic surgery, the usual suspects seem to always come up. In Utah alone, people are constantly searching for the best place to get a rhinoplasty in Salt Lake, or which surgeon is the highest rated for breast augmentation in Utah County. It seems that all over the world, people are consulting both the internet and their physicians about liposuction, tummy tucks, facelifts, breast lifts, browlifts, and even ear reshaping. Women are removing lip lines with extreme prejudice, while men are trying to stimulate hair growth (or at least give the appearance of such). 

There is one procedure, however, that is favored by both men and women, regardless of where they live in the world. That is blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery.

By the Numbers

As a product coming out of the medical community, the statistics surrounding cosmetic surgery have been well-documented. In true analytical fashion, one can find data broken up in a myriad of different ways to try and understand just who it is that is going under the knife and which procedures they’re electing to get. 

Organizations like the American Society of Plastic Surgeons have collected data on patients’ ethnicity, whether they opted for major or minor surgery, and what type. The numbers may be surprising:

  • In multiple years, 70% of surgery recipients were caucasian.
  • The largest percentage of patients across all recorded races opted for eyelid surgery.
  • Wrinkle removal, including chemical peels and Botox, constituted the largest section of non-invasive procedures recorded.
  • Nearly half of all recorded patients received more than one surgery at once.

Nature vs. Nurture

Perhaps it is no surprise that certain procedures tend to track in specific locales, with specific people. For instance, beach-laden Florida is mostly interested in liposuction. But such statistics also raise questions about the cultural influence of certain procedures on the general mindshare.

For example, studies suggest that it is not procedures of hair growth or a nose job that most concern Utahns, but breast augmentation. Some scientists have suggested this belies “a culture of perfectionism,” or even evidence of how women choose to have children at a young age in the Beehive State. Meanwhile, blepharoplasties are in the highest demand in Hawaii.

Seeing Eye to Eye

With some islands reporting a population that is over 50% Asian, Hawaii constitutes the only majority Asian state in the Union. The popularity of the blepharoplasty might seem like a strange outlier if not for the statistics coming directly from Asia: Seoul, South Korea, the facial plastic surgery capital of the world, reports an overwhelming majority of eyelid procedures performed. The purpose of the “double eyelid” surgery has long been mired in controversy, but the objectives are clear:

  • Eyes that normally don’t have an eyelid crease are given one.
  • Opens the eyes wider.
  • Creates better symmetry between the eyes.
  • Makes makeup applications easier for women. 

While some critics of the procedure count the Asian blepharoplasty as evidence of cultural self-hatred, or white oppression, others claim that they are preserving their heritage while also enjoying functional benefits such as better peripheral vision. 

Looking Good

For those who are interested in exploring all that cosmetic surgery can do for them, whether it’s finding a good restoration option for hair growth or finally going to Salt Lake for that rhinoplasty, Barr Aesthetics can get you the results you want. Simply call or drop in for an appointment today and find the look that’s right for you.