Chin implants are the fastest-growing plastic surgery in the US
Recently laid off worker Lyn Talent receives a free Botox injection during an event called the “The Botox Bailout” where the first 50 recently laid-off workers could exchange their resumes for free Botox injections June 5, 2009 in Arlington, Virginia.
Chin implants, also known as "chinplants," are the fastest-growing plastic surgery in the United States, according to a new report from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), which represents 7,000 surgeons across the US, BBC News reported.
In 2011, almost 20,700 Americans got chin augmentation surgery, up 71 percent from 2010, according to CBS News. Equal amounts of men and women have opted for the surgery, according to ABC News.
"The chin and jawline are among the first areas to show signs of aging. People are considering chin augmentation as a way to restore their youthful look just like a facelift or eyelid surgery," ASPS President Malcolm Roth told Fox News. "We also know that as more people see themselves on video chat technology, they may notice that their jawline is not as sharp as they want it to be. Chin implants can make a dramatic difference."
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Chin implants were most popular among men and women who were 55 and over, CBS News reported. 8,459 people in that age group opted for the surgery in 2011, followed by 5,075 people in their forties.
"Constantly seeing your own image staring back at you certainly does give one pause to assess all aspects of your image," Dr. Anita Sethna, assistant professor of otolaryngology at the Emory Facial Center in Atlanta, told ABC News. "The jawline and neckline are intimately associated with the chin, as this is the point of suspension of the rest of the neck."
To complete the procedure, which lasts 1 to 3 hours, a plastic surgeon makes pocket in front of the chin and under the muscles and inserts an implant made out of silicone or other materials, according to CBS.
Lip augmentations also increased 49 percent in 2011, as did cheek implants, which were up 47 percent. Laser skin resurfacing, soft-tissue fillers, and facelifts also saw small increases in popularity, HealthDay News reported.
Breast augmentation is still the overall most popular cosmetic surgery in America: 307,000 of the procedure were done in 2011, up four percent since 2010, according to the ASPS.
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