Restoring lashes, tightening vaginas, plumping lips top wish list among those considering ‘less common’ cosmetic procedures

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Beyond breast augmentations, face-lifts, tummy tucks and nose jobs lies a world of treatments known to the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery as the ‘less common’ cosmetic surgery procedures.

Some of those -- implants to enlarge the penis, define the buttocks and enhance the pectoral, calf or bicep muscles -- have been popular with plastic surgery patients for a long time. Others -- eyelash restoration, lip augmentation and ‘rejuvenation’ of the vulva and vaginal region -- are newer offerings, and -- at least in the case of vaginal rejuvenation -- have stirred a bit more controversy, laid out here.

In an effort to put these ‘less common’ procedures into proper perspective, The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery in June commissioned a national survey to gauge Americans’ knowledge of, experience with, and interest in these special cosmetic treatments. The results provide a revealing glimpse not only of how many Americans have opted for such arcane reshaping, but how many would consider it and which procedures they’re eager to try.

All told, 4.7 million Americans have chosen one of the less common cosmetic surgical procedures -- a small group compared with the 23 million who have ever had any cosmetic surgery. Lots of them -- about 2 million -- have had their eyelashes made fuller with implants, a procedure that’s grown extremely popular in the last three years or so. A million have had calf implants and 1.3 million have enhanced their biceps or triceps (roughly a third of each group was female).

But given enough liquidity, cosmetic surgery’s future could be booming: The academy’s survey -- considered a representative sample of Americans -- suggests that 86 million Americans would consider one of the less common cosmetic surgical procedures.

Eyelash restoration tops the wish list of those who’ve never had one of the less common cosmetic procedures. Almost 1 in 3 said they’d be very or somewhat likely to have that treatment.

And right behind it was vaginal rejuvenation, with 19.4% of respondents who had never had one of the less common procedures saying they’d be ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ likely to get their genital area tucked and tightened.

That translates to 19.4 million American women who are serious about having their vaginas cinched, their labia nipped and their clitoral folds surgically rendered more comely. This, in spite of a September 2007 warning from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists that these procedures ‘are not medically indicated’ and their safety and effectiveness ‘have not been documented.’

A slightly smaller group of respondents -- translating to 17.1 million -- said they would like to get permanent lip augmentation -- surgical reshaping of the lips, sometimes with the insertion of an implant.

And surgical penile enlargement has not been forgotten in an age of erectile dysfunction drugs and dietary supplements promising to pump up the penis’ size. The survey suggests that 672,000 American men have already enlarged their penis surgically. But an additional 12.1 million would be very or somewhat likely to get one.

These are some pretty astonishing numbers, acknowledges Dr. Mark Berman, the Long Angeles cosmetic surgeon who is the president-elect of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery. ‘People will do all kinds of things and want all kinds of adornment of their bodies,’ Berman says. With tattoos and piercings becoming commonplace, it’s natural for people to be open to making other changes to make themselves feel happier and more confident, Berman says. ‘And given the finances, more people would have it done,’ he adds.

Add to that the wave of baby boomers unwilling to succumb to gravity, says Berman, and the seemingly astronomical numbers ‘aren’t surprising,’ he adds. Berman says he regularly reassures boomers they’re not vain to want to maintain a youthful appearance in spite of their advancing years.

‘Getting old’s not a problem,’ says Berman. Getting ugly stinks, he says.

-- Melissa Healy