Australians spend over $3 billion on cosmetic treatments annually; 14% had plastic surgery in the past 12 months.
Surgical procedures are often costly; eyelid surgery averages $4,500 to $8,000 alone.
Health insurance does not cover purely cosmetic surgery but may assist with medically necessary reconstruction.
Statistics show plastic surgery is on the rise in Australia. With social media increasingly shaping our beauty ideals, it isn't hard to see why more and more Aussies want to change their appearance.
But this kind of beauty comes with a price tag. Finder analysis estimates Australians are spending more than $3 billion each year on cosmetic treatments from eyelash extensions and laser hair removal to Botox and plastic surgery.
How many Australians have had plastic surgery?
Finder's research found that 14% of Australians admit to having had some form of plastic surgery within the past 12 months – equivalent to 1.2 million people.
Australians spend a combined $1 billion each year on cosmetic treatments, according to the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery and Medicine. On a per-capita basis, that's 40% more than what Americans spend.
It's not just the operating table Aussies are lining up for. Other beauty treatments like teeth whitening (15%), laser hair removal (16%), eyelash extensions (17%) and Botox (17%) are attracting millions of customers each year.
Percentage of Australians who have undergone cosmetic treatments in the past 12 months
Percentage of Australians who have undergone cosmetic treatments in the past 12 months
Treatment
% that have done it
Nail appointments
20
Anti-ageing injections (e.g. Botox)
17
Eyelash extensions
17
Laser hair removal
16
Waxing
16
Eyebrow microblading or lamination
15
Fake tanning
15
Skin treatments/facials
15
Teeth whitening
15
Plastic surgery
14
How much do cosmetic treatments cost?
According to SBS Insight, a single session of Botox can cost up to $700 and only lasts 3-4 months.
Skin treatments like photorejuvenation (IPL) can set you back up to $300. Eyebrow microblading – a form of tattooing – can come to an eye-watering $650 per session.
When it comes to surgical procedures, prices can reach tens of thousands of dollars according to Costhetics. A facelift can cost anywhere from $8,000 to $21,000, and rhinoplasty (a nose job) ranges between $8,000 and $20,000.
An eyelid surgery procedure – one of the most common cosmetic operations – can cost between $4,500 and $8,000.
Estimated cost of cosmetic treatments in Australia
Estimated cost of cosmetic treatments in Australia
Treatment
Min
Max
Teeth whitening (in chair)
500
1500
Eyebrow microblading
400
650
Botox
250
300
Teeth whitening (at home)
250
450
Photorejuvenation (IPL)
140
300
Laser hair removal (legs)
100
200
Eyelash extensions
80
300
Microdermabrasion
80
300
Eyebrow lamination
75
150
Manicure and pedicure
60
80
Waxing (legs)
45
60
Fake tanning (full body)
40
50
Estimated cost of plastic surgery in Australia
Estimated cost of plastic surgery in Australia
Treatment
Min
Max
Breast reduction
12000
14000
Breast augmentation
10000
15000
Tummy tuck
9000
29000
Nose reshaping
8000
20000
Facelift
8000
21000
Eyelid surgery
4500
8000
The most popular plastic surgery procedures in Australia
There were 102,404 cosmetic surgery procedures in 2018, plus an additional 100,238 non-surgical procedures.
The most popular procedures are breast augmentation (17,553), eyelid surgery (11,444) and liposuction (9,839).
The statistics don't include non-surgical procedures such as breast lifts (7,223) and breast implant removals (4,505).
Number of cosmetic surgery procedures performed in Australia (2018)
Number of cosmetic surgery procedures performed in Australia (2018)
Procedure
#
Breast augmentation
17553
Eyelid surgery
11444
Liposuction
9839
Abdominoplasty
9539
Breast reduction
7592
Breast lift
7223
Nose reshaping
6864
Fat grafting (face)
5928
Breast implant removal
4505
Facelift
3301
Lower body lift
3076
Ear surgery
2659
Male breast reduction
2065
Neck lift
1905
Upper arm lift
1840
Brow lift
1546
Buttock augmentation
1396
Thigh lift
1370
Facial bone contouring
1247
Labiaplasty
1188
Buttock lift
326
Male plastic surgery is on the rise
In 2019, men accounted for 7% of plastic surgery procedures in the US and 10% of injectable treatments like Botox, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
The most common surgical procedures for men are liposuction and gynecomastia (male breast reduction).
Although there is no equivalent data published in Australia, anecdotal reports from local plastic surgeons indicate the trend exists here too.
The Australasian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ASAPS) has reported an increase in male cosmetic surgery procedures, including male breast reduction, liposuction and "Brotox".
Most common plastic surgery procedures for men in 2020 (US)
Most common plastic surgery procedures for men in 2020 (US)
Procedure
Procedures
Liposuction
11588
Male breast reduction
8853
Eyelid surgery
7893
Nose reshaping
7475
Tummy tuck
3591
Interest in Botox is growing
Around 2.2 million people worldwide search for Botox every month, according to Google trends data as of March 2022.
This is an increase of 57% when compared to just 4 years ago in 2018.
Lip blushing, lip filler and eyebrow lamination have also seen a strong increase in interest over the past few years.
Google interest in select cosmetic treatments (2017 - 2022)
Google interest in select cosmetic treatments (2017 - 2022)
Week
Tummy tuck
Lip filler
Nose job
Laser hair removal
Profhilo*
Botox
29/12/2019
49
28
61
80
0
36
05/01/2020
57
36
71
73
0
51
12/01/2020
54
42
66
74
0
53
19/01/2020
47
38
64
72
0
53
26/01/2020
45
29
66
71
0
44
02/02/2020
47
42
64
64
0
47
09/02/2020
49
35
59
67
0
55
16/02/2020
36
36
57
71
0
52
23/02/2020
54
37
59
68
0
55
01/03/2020
53
37
71
59
0
51
08/03/2020
38
33
65
60
0
46
15/03/2020
36
35
53
46
0
33
22/03/2020
23
22
51
31
0
31
29/03/2020
23
19
70
41
0
29
05/04/2020
37
21
92
46
0
33
12/04/2020
36
20
82
50
0
35
19/04/2020
44
23
78
47
0
35
26/04/2020
35
23
79
49
0
35
03/05/2020
45
31
69
45
0
44
10/05/2020
39
40
85
51
0
48
17/05/2020
40
45
88
54
0
49
24/05/2020
46
50
86
65
0
64
31/05/2020
43
64
68
79
0
69
07/06/2020
47
63
82
86
0
72
14/06/2020
61
69
97
80
0
71
21/06/2020
51
72
91
74
0
74
28/06/2020
57
68
87
77
0
71
05/07/2020
59
66
85
71
0
72
12/07/2020
52
67
96
65
0
67
19/07/2020
58
68
92
62
0
65
26/07/2020
46
56
100
62
0
67
02/08/2020
44
52
87
61
0
62
09/08/2020
48
54
78
67
0
59
16/08/2020
50
48
78
68
0
57
23/08/2020
55
52
80
67
0
56
30/08/2020
54
40
71
71
0
52
06/09/2020
51
50
66
70
0
55
13/09/2020
53
53
76
77
0
61
20/09/2020
55
53
76
74
0
57
27/09/2020
63
51
78
76
0
62
4/10/2020
62
50
75
74
0
57
11/10/2020
60
55
77
74
0
59
18/10/2020
56
49
75
76
0
58
25/10/2020
48
58
72
84
0
66
1/11/2020
42
53
56
78
0
63
8/11/2020
50
44
54
89
0
65
15/11/2020
54
61
56
90
0
65
22/11/2020
43
60
56
100
0
61
29/11/2020
45
61
59
97
0
67
6/12/2020
55
68
74
81
0
78
13/12/2020
43
58
75
77
0
74
20/12/2020
45
39
62
73
0
51
27/12/2020
45
32
75
87
0
49
03/01/2021
62
45
79
84
0
56
10/01/2021
55
53
69
87
0
60
17/01/2021
58
50
65
89
0
66
24/01/2021
54
51
71
80
0
54
31/01/2021
44
64
59
74
0
64
07/02/2021
45
54
66
74
0
62
14/02/2021
51
52
60
73
0
58
21/02/2021
54
59
56
71
0
64
28/02/2021
49
51
57
69
0
63
07/03/2021
51
50
65
68
0
60
14/03/2021
48
50
49
74
0
58
21/03/2021
39
54
60
60
0
62
28/03/2021
56
59
61
62
0
68
04/04/2021
54
64
55
73
0
65
11/04/2021
45
47
72
63
0
67
18/04/2021
47
62
73
64
0
63
25/04/2021
43
49
73
66
0
65
02/05/2021
48
46
63
60
0
61
09/05/2021
48
47
64
58
0
66
16/05/2021
47
54
57
60
0
65
23/05/2021
57
58
80
57
0
66
30/05/2021
44
53
88
52
0
64
06/06/2021
41
46
62
61
0
58
13/06/2021
45
54
75
62
0
67
20/06/2021
48
53
82
65
0
62
27/06/2021
49
50
84
58
0
54
04/07/2021
46
55
81
63
0
60
11/07/2021
51
54
66
60
0
59
18/07/2021
47
48
70
53
0
55
25/07/2021
44
59
68
66
0
60
01/08/2021
54
59
76
66
0
54
08/08/2021
37
53
88
59
0
54
15/08/2021
43
48
65
59
0
55
22/08/2021
50
48
61
57
0
47
29/08/2021
43
34
79
56
0
53
05/09/2021
51
40
66
54
0
54
12/09/2021
51
48
82
63
0
57
19/09/2021
55
47
70
59
0
57
26/09/2021
41
49
82
65
0
58
3/10/2021
52
58
70
67
0
65
10/10/2021
47
65
77
72
0
66
17/10/2021
52
71
83
80
0
82
24/10/2021
50
78
60
84
0
88
31/10/2021
45
78
74
79
0
76
7/11/2021
59
89
68
68
0
79
14/11/2021
42
87
56
70
0
83
21/11/2021
39
77
69
79
0
81
28/11/2021
40
83
57
72
0
80
5/12/2021
45
89
62
72
0
83
12/12/2021
37
79
57
70
0
79
19/12/2021
33
60
54
72
0
53
26/12/2021
45
38
62
76
0
42
02/01/2022
40
48
75
80
0
48
09/01/2022
33
60
69
72
0
53
16/01/2022
39
60
66
72
0
57
23/01/2022
42
51
53
70
0
53
30/01/2022
44
68
63
70
0
64
06/02/2022
41
68
69
75
0
61
13/02/2022
40
73
55
69
0
68
20/02/2022
41
65
62
65
0
70
27/02/2022
37
68
51
59
0
68
06/03/2022
52
76
54
58
0
67
13/03/2022
38
62
92
72
0
66
20/03/2022
44
68
69
61
0
68
27/03/2022
49
62
66
63
0
61
03/04/2022
47
59
68
60
0
64
10/04/2022
43
57
70
55
0
62
17/04/2022
48
60
62
65
0
67
24/04/2022
43
52
67
61
0
69
01/05/2022
37
61
67
60
0
71
08/05/2022
45
68
70
55
0
68
15/05/2022
40
68
59
50
0
68
22/05/2022
42
63
69
57
0
70
29/05/2022
45
69
55
61
0
69
05/06/2022
48
61
64
53
0
67
12/06/2022
46
66
63
58
0
70
19/06/2022
39
60
54
59
0
70
26/06/2022
100
63
59
65
0
73
03/07/2022
67
78
65
66
0
71
10/07/2022
62
72
71
60
0
74
17/07/2022
61
89
66
61
0
71
24/07/2022
71
89
80
67
0
75
31/07/2022
57
77
71
60
0
81
07/08/2022
55
83
56
65
0
79
14/08/2022
54
87
65
62
0
80
21/08/2022
53
71
66
67
0
75
28/08/2022
57
74
55
71
0
79
04/09/2022
49
77
61
63
0
75
11/09/2022
56
78
62
66
0
72
18/09/2022
51
72
65
69
0
78
25/09/2022
52
75
57
67
0
76
2/10/2022
51
69
66
66
0
73
9/10/2022
50
74
73
70
0
71
16/10/2022
54
61
45
67
0
69
23/10/2022
58
74
52
68
0
71
30/10/2022
53
70
57
65
0
72
6/11/2022
48
72
57
74
0
68
13/11/2022
46
68
56
77
0
71
20/11/2022
45
65
51
78
0
69
27/11/2022
45
68
56
73
0
72
4/12/2022
59
75
55
68
0
77
11/12/2022
43
73
46
70
0
77
18/12/2022
38
67
52
72
0
67
25/12/2022
55
52
55
85
0
49
01/01/2023
48
56
58
82
0
53
08/01/2023
49
67
64
81
0
64
15/01/2023
52
61
55
76
0
68
22/01/2023
45
65
62
80
0
66
29/01/2023
47
71
63
70
0
65
05/02/2023
43
67
52
69
0
76
12/02/2023
36
65
53
68
0
67
19/02/2023
54
65
56
66
0
73
26/02/2023
55
79
55
59
0
73
05/03/2023
42
76
56
66
0
73
12/03/2023
45
58
66
63
0
68
19/03/2023
47
70
57
61
0
65
26/03/2023
43
60
46
59
0
70
02/04/2023
51
66
51
63
0
67
09/04/2023
42
75
63
61
0
73
16/04/2023
41
77
56
68
0
87
23/04/2023
46
82
63
61
0
73
30/04/2023
39
73
66
61
0
75
07/05/2023
46
68
53
66
0
78
14/05/2023
35
63
55
59
0
75
21/05/2023
41
73
57
60
0
75
28/05/2023
41
89
65
53
0
80
04/06/2023
53
77
50
61
0
80
11/06/2023
45
70
52
63
0
73
18/06/2023
44
63
66
65
0
80
25/06/2023
43
77
61
66
0
79
02/07/2023
48
71
49
67
0
88
09/07/2023
35
74
58
63
0
79
16/07/2023
51
71
57
58
0
82
23/07/2023
46
90
59
64
0
85
30/07/2023
43
69
53
64
0
80
06/08/2023
39
74
59
60
0
81
13/08/2023
37
71
51
62
100
78
20/08/2023
58
75
65
68
0
84
27/08/2023
49
73
48
67
0
74
03/09/2023
57
61
60
67
0
82
10/09/2023
53
76
52
73
0
79
17/09/2023
44
73
53
81
0
81
24/09/2023
51
72
57
78
0
73
1/10/2023
52
71
54
73
0
79
8/10/2023
50
72
64
65
0
78
15/10/2023
41
80
48
69
0
80
22/10/2023
49
74
56
65
0
78
29/10/2023
52
73
53
69
0
82
5/11/2023
44
70
57
67
0
78
12/11/2023
45
78
54
77
0
84
19/11/2023
41
77
60
95
0
78
26/11/2023
47
73
56
80
0
81
3/12/2023
38
67
45
76
0
84
10/12/2023
39
77
47
72
0
82
17/12/2023
36
67
53
69
0
78
24/12/2023
46
60
49
80
0
61
31/12/2023
53
57
60
82
0
60
07/01/2024
41
74
62
82
0
75
14/01/2024
59
81
62
76
0
70
21/01/2024
48
66
50
71
0
70
28/01/2024
45
67
60
68
0
75
04/02/2024
47
77
61
67
0
75
11/02/2024
39
58
63
66
0
71
18/02/2024
47
66
62
60
0
75
25/02/2024
42
60
53
62
0
70
03/03/2024
32
71
55
57
0
77
10/03/2024
45
74
46
61
0
71
17/03/2024
40
68
55
63
0
77
24/03/2024
42
62
47
54
0
73
31/03/2024
41
73
62
64
0
72
07/04/2024
35
75
63
59
0
79
14/04/2024
33
81
76
60
0
76
21/04/2024
45
84
49
60
0
77
28/04/2024
40
72
57
61
0
77
05/05/2024
39
74
53
55
0
78
12/05/2024
44
73
52
63
0
84
19/05/2024
36
82
59
57
0
83
26/05/2024
46
84
61
58
0
81
02/06/2024
39
79
58
53
0
78
09/06/2024
39
81
67
61
0
79
16/06/2024
40
88
52
58
0
82
23/06/2024
42
80
55
65
0
89
30/06/2024
45
87
60
64
0
88
07/07/2024
39
100
58
64
0
95
14/07/2024
44
94
58
63
0
90
21/07/2024
51
100
49
66
0
90
28/07/2024
45
89
60
63
0
87
04/08/2024
45
90
57
56
0
100
11/08/2024
41
95
56
62
0
84
18/08/2024
43
74
66
62
0
96
25/08/2024
42
85
54
63
0
82
01/09/2024
51
70
49
69
0
89
08/09/2024
43
83
71
60
0
84
15/09/2024
42
83
59
72
0
85
22/09/2024
44
81
56
62
0
85
29/09/2024
51
85
64
63
0
91
6/10/2024
48
72
66
70
0
84
13/10/2024
45
75
56
70
0
89
20/10/2024
51
76
58
70
0
81
27/10/2024
43
78
53
59
0
83
3/11/2024
46
80
39
69
0
81
10/11/2024
42
79
41
62
0
80
17/11/2024
41
88
47
77
0
79
24/11/2024
38
78
50
91
0
82
1/12/2024
33
73
43
78
0
89
8/12/2024
49
86
51
68
0
82
15/12/2024
38
83
48
72
0
90
22/12/2024
42
65
52
78
0
69
29/12/2024
46
64
52
77
0
63
Which countries have the most plastic surgery?
In 2018, there were 102,404 cosmetic surgery procedures in Australia, according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ISAPS). When compared to the global giants, this is not much to look at. Countries like the US and Brazil are renowned for being plastic surgery meccas, boasting 1.5 million and 1.3 million surgeries per year.
However, when you account for population, the story changes. Greece has a rate of 750 surgeries per 100,000 people – the highest of the countries included in the ISAPS dataset. This is followed by Argentina (630 per 100,000), Brazil (615 per 100,000) and Germany (508 per 100,000).
At 402 per 100,000, Australians are more likely to undergo plastic surgery than their Spanish, Russian or Japanese counterparts. With a national spend of $1 billion on cosmetic procedures, Australians surprisingly spend 40% more than Americans per capita.
Number of cosmetic surgery procedures performed by country
Number of cosmetic surgery procedures performed by country
Country
Cosmetic surgery procedures
United States
1485116
Brazil
1306962
Russia
478200
Mexico
456489
Germany
425855
Turkey
360542
Argentina
284320
India
255528
Italy
245400
Japan
222642
Colombia
208416
Spain
165906
Thailand
102407
Australia
102404
Greece
78131
When it comes to the number of plastic surgeons, the US leads the world with 7,000 qualified surgeons. Brazil (5,843) trails closely in second place. However, once we account for population, South Korea has the highest rate of plastic surgeons (5 per 100,000), followed by Argentina (4.4 per 100,000).
Australia has just 424 qualified plastic surgeons – equivalent to 1.7 per 100,000. This is more than the rate of surgeons in France, Mexico, Russia and the UK.
This could include repairing nasal deformities that cause breathing problems, breast reconstruction following cancer removal, repairing scars or burns on the skin and repairing cleft palates among other surgeries.
Typically, this kind of cover is available under bronze-level hospital policies and above.
Sophie Wallis is a senior insights analyst with a passion for data storytelling. She spends her time turning complex data into digestible stories and uncovering new consumer trends. When she isn't working, you'll find her planning her next overseas holiday or bingeing on a big novel. Sophie has a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Melbourne.
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when was this article published?
Hi Demi,
The research was conducted in 2022.
Hope this helps!