The search for beauty is universal, but in recent years, social networks and the glow-up culture have intensified people’s desire to look better, younger, and more successful. With filters and AI image-enhancing apps, impeccable appearance is now easier to achieve than ever. But what made it actually accessible to millions of people is the development of modern, minimally invasive and, most of all, cheaper cosmetic procedures.
What was once a luxury reserved for Hollywood elites has now become a routine expense for millions of Americans seeking to smooth wrinkles, enhance their features, and fight the signs of ageing. In 2023, Americans spent more than $4 billion on Botox alone, according to the latest figures from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. By 2031, the global market for this product is projected to grow to $11.29 billion, which made the team at RationalFX curious about the total money spent on Botox and other popular beauty treatments in the United States.
Analysing the latest figures from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, we calculated that Americans spend a total of $20.4 billion a year on Botox, hyaluronic acid fillers, lip injections, and other beauty enhancements. There were more than 25.4 million minimally invasive procedures in the country in 2023, suggesting that 7.5% of Americans had an aesthetic treatment that year.
When looking at the total amount of money Americans spend on different beauty procedures, skin resurfacing emerges as the top category. Various treatments are grouped together under “resurfacing”, including chemical peels, microneedling, dermabrasion, ablative and non-ablative laser treatments, microdermasion, etc. In 2023, a total of 3.5 million procedures of this kind were performed and, at an average price of $1,829, the total amount spent on them came to more than $6.4 billion.
However, botulinum toxin injections are much more prevalent among Americans, with 9.48 million procedures performed in 2023 across the U.S. The average price of the injections dropped by 17.6% to $435 in 2023 (in 2022, it was $528), so overall, $4.124 billion was spent on Botox and similar products in 2023. Hyaluronic acid fillers have also become extremely popular due to their non-invasive nature and effectiveness in wrinkle correction. In 2023, more than 5.29 million hyaluronic acid-based dermal fillers were received by Americans, which cost them nearly $3.786 billion. The price of HA fillers also went down by almost 10% from the previous year to $715 on average.
Laser skin treatments such as laser hair removal, IPL treatment, laser tattoo removal, and laser treatment of leg veins come next in terms of total spending. In 2023, Americans had $2.162 billion worth of these treatments. The average price for this group of procedures increased significantly between 2022 and 2023; from $582 on average, the fee jumped to $697 in 2023, an increase of 19.76%.
A little over a billion dollars was also spent in the U.S. on non-invasive skin tightening (various procedures that aim at increasing the skin’s own collagen production and at lifting sagging areas) and on different lip augmentation treatments with injectable materials (such as fat injections, collagen, silicone fillers, and many others). More than $800 million was spent on non-invasive fat reduction procedures such as cryolipolysis (the destruction of fat by freezing) or injections for reducing double chins; another $800 million was spent on non-hyaluronic acid dermal fillers, while nearly $260 million was spent on the treatment of varicose veins (sclerotherapy).
What Is Botulinum Toxin And Why Is It So Popular?
Popular by the brand name Botox, the injections contain the muscle relaxant known as botulinum toxin on its own or in combination with other substances. This neurotoxic protein produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum toxin can cause botulism in large quantities or simply relax the muscles when used in small dosages.
The effect it causes is coveted by millions since it seemingly reverses ageing, creating a youthful appearance. It achieves it by blocking the nerve signals that make muscles contract. When injected correctly into the face, the toxin effectively relaxes the facial muscles and reduces the presence of unwanted wrinkles. But if the dosage is not calculated properly, the toxin can paralyze parts of the face, creating the so-called “frozen face”. Taking up to a week to fully develop, the effect of the toxin lasts a few months, as the body metabolizes the injected substance over time.
The cost of botulinum toxin injections can vary widely; each unit typically ranges from $10 to $18, and most procedures require between 30 and 40 units. Therefore, the total cost of the treatment can range from $300 to $600. Botox has to be reapplied every 5-6 months to retain the effects on the face, and since it is a minor, minimally invasive procedure, the recovery process is fast. The typical redness, swelling and bruising will typically heal within a day or two.
Injected in much smaller amounts, micro-Botox or Baby Botox, is now trending among younger generations for its reportedly natural-looking results. It is often used by individuals in their 20s who want to fight early signs of ageing but insist on features with no sign of “treatment” at all. Similar to Baby Botox, the so-called “preventative Botox” has also gone viral for its claim to prevent wrinkles from appearing in the first place.
Middle-Aged Americans Are the Most Common Botox Users
As expected, more than half (5.4 million or 57%) of all botulinum toxin injections in 2023 were performed on men and women in their 40s and 50s. The second most common age group for getting the anti-wrinkle treatment is people aged 55 to 69 with 23%. Overall, the botulinum toxin is most prevalent in middle-aged Americans: 80% of all botox procedures were done on patients between the ages of 40 and 69.
More than 1.7 million Botox injections were also received by Americans aged 30 to 39, which accounts for roughly 18.5% of all. A little over 137 thousand procedures were performed on patients between the ages of 20 and 29 (around 1.5%). Interestingly, 27.5 thousand teenagers (ages 19 and younger) were also injected with Botox in 2023. While this may seem uncommon, it is an indication of the growing popularity of beauty trends such as Baby Botox and preventative Botox on social media.
Of course, we should not forget that beyond its anti-ageing effects, the botulinum toxin has plenty of other cosmetic and therapeutic uses; it treats chronic migraine, spastic disorders, and neurological conditions of the neck and various muscles in the body.
Botox vs. Hyaluronic Acid Fillers
The only minimally invasive cosmetic treatment that comes close in popularity to the botulinum toxin is hyaluronic acid-based dermal fillers. In 2023, 5.3 million procedures with these fillers were done on Americans, with just over half (50.3%) being received by patients between the ages of 40 and 54. Around 35.5% of all HA fillers were administered to men and women aged 55 to 69, making this type of treatment the second-most popular beauty procedure among middle-aged Americans. In total, 85.8% of all fillers based on hyaluronic acid were injected into people between the ages of 40 and 69.
So, why is Botox more popular than dermal fillers with hyaluronic acid? Both treatments have proven anti-wrinkle effects – while the HA fillers fill in the wrinkles and the areas of the face that have lost volume, the botulinum toxin smooths out the wrinkles caused by facial expressions. The safety profiles of the two treatments are very different, as well. Botox is a toxin that may have various side effects, especially when not administered by a licensed professional. Fillers, on the other hand, may cause lumps or overfilling.
While Botulinum toxin injections need to be performed once in three or four months, the effects of hyaluronic acid-based fillers last longer – 6 to 18 months. Both treatments are generally safe, with few side effects, and are not permanent. The downtime for fillers might be a little longer, as sometimes the injector needs to shape and “sculpt” the filler. What may seem a little bit more attractive about Botox is its price. It costs $435 on average versus $715 for HA fillers.
Other Popular Beauty Treatments
Botox, hyaluronic acid fillers, skin resurfacing, laser skin treatments, and non-hyaluronic acid fillers are the most popular cosmetic procedures in the United States. In 2023, over 9.4 million botulinum toxin injections were performed in the country, followed by over 5 million hyaluronic acid fillers. But this is just a small part of the massive aesthetics industry that sees millions of Americans receive dozens of different procedures from facials to lip enlargement and laser skin treatments.
Skin resurfacing (a variety of procedures such as dermabrasion, chemical peels, ablative and non-ablative lasers, as well as microdermabrasion) is particularly popular among those aged 55 to 69. A total of 3.5 million procedures were performed in 2023 and over 2 million of them were received by patients between the ages of 55 and 69. For those aged 70 and above, skin resurfacing is also the most popular procedure, with around 560,000 done in 2023.
Laser skin treatments rank fourth on the list with 3.1 million performed across the United States in 2023. This group of treatments include laser hair removal, IPL treatment, laser tattoo removal, and even laser treatment of leg veins. They are most frequently sought by individuals aged 40 to 54, with a little over a million procedures administered to this age group in 2023.
Lip augmentation procedures, specifically those using injectable products, also remain quite popular among Americans. In 2023, more than 1.4 million procedures were performed but no data is available about the specific age groups or genders that sought this treatment.
Non-hyaluronic acid fillers, which are typically done to maintain youthful skin for a few years, last longer than the majority of minimally invasive procedures, which is why they are quite popular. These dermal fillers do not contain hyaluronic acid and can have calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA), Poly-L-lactic acid, or something else as an active ingredient in them. They are commonly used by patients aged 40 to 54, with 430,751 fillers received by this age group; another 369,614 were done on Americans between the ages of 55 and 69.
Plastic Surgeries Also on the Rise
Botox and hyaluronic acid-based dermal fillers, along with other non- or minimally invasive cosmetic procedures have become the go-to for achieving a more youthful appearance. However, plastic surgeries continue to thrive with Americans getting a total of 1,575,244 cosmetic surgeries in 2023 at a total cost of $9.32 billion. Between 2022 and 2023, these surgeries increased by 5.13%. Although these are much more expensive and invasive in nature (suggeting higher health risks overall and longer downtime), many individuals choose them for more dramatic transformations that go beyond mere wrinkle removal.
In 2023, liposuction dominated the cosmetic surgery market with 347,782 surgeries performed at a total cost of $1.64 billion. This suggests that roughly 1 in a thousand Americans underwent a liposuction in 2023. Other procedures that also surpass $1 billion in expenditure include breast implants (304,181 surgeries in 2023), tummy tucks (170,110), and breast lifts (153,600). Breast implants are particularly popular among people aged 30-39, with more than 100,000 procedures done in this age group. Also, another 120,747 eyelid surgeries were performed in 2023 and more than half of them were among patiens between the ages of 55 and 69.
Men Are Also Interested in Beauty Procedures
The market for cosmetic enhancements has been dominated by women for a long time, with men rarely ever being a part of the industry. However, our report shows that despite the numbers being very low, men are still interested in improving or changing their looks through cosmetic surgery and various non-invasive procedures.
Botulinum toxin injections emerge as the most popular cosmetic procedure among men. Over 569 thousand men had the procedure done in 2023, followed by laser skin treatments (487,349), skin resurfacing (242,600) and hyaluronic acid fillers (145,933). In comparison to the 569 thousand Botox injections on men, 8.1 million women were injected with the anti-wrinkle substance. This means that only 6.01% of all botulinum toxin injections in the U.S. were administered to men in 2023.
The 490 thousand laser treatments performed on men in 2023 represent 15.71% of all procedures of this type. Interestingly, more than 11% of all non-HA fillers, 105,706 out of 818,843, were performed on men.
When it comes to plastic surgery, more than 95 thousand surgeries were performed on men in the U.S. in 2023, accounting for roughly 6% of all plastic surgeries that year. With 23,831 procedures, breast reduction for gynecomastia (this is an enlargement of the breast tissue caused by hormonal imbalances) was the most popular surgery among men. The second most common procedure was liposuction – 20,879 men had it (6% of all liposuctions in 2023). Another 15,397 men had eyelid surgery (12.75% of all procedures of this type). Interestingly enough, 430 male patients had a buttock augmentation procedure, known as a Brazillian butt lift. Another 78 surgeries put buttock implants in men, which is 6.32% of all buttock implant procedures.
Percentage-wise, things look a lot different. Just over a third of all ear surgeries (33.61%) were done on men, as were over a quarter (25.86%) of all cheek implant procedures. In fact, figures show that men are interested in achieving the chiselled jawline look, with 22.06% of all chin augmentation surgeries in 2023 performed on men. Also, more than 12% of all eyelid surgeries and neck lifts were performed on men, while around 14.5% of all nose jobs (rhinoplasty) were on male patients.
Methodology
We analyzed the information provided by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons for 2022 and 2023 regarding plastic surgeries and minimally invasive cosmetic procedures. We calculated the amount of money spent on different procedures based on their average cost, multiplied by the number of procedures done. We compared the figures for men and women and patients in different age groups.