DALLAS – The most important referral sources for cosmetic procedures are physicians and family members and friends, but there appears to be a knowledge gap as to which cosmetic providers are actually medical doctors, results from an online survey found.
“There are approximately 16 million cosmetic procedures performed in the U.S., and that number is growing rapidly,” study author Adam J. Wulkan, MD, said at the annual conference of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery. “They’re performed by dermatologists, plastic surgeons, facial plastic surgeons, nurses, aestheticians, dentists, and more. Yet little is known regarding how consumers choose cosmetic procedures and providers.”
In an effort to elucidate how consumers research, self-educate, and choose cosmetic surgery procedures and providers, Dr. Wulkan and his associates used Survey Monkey to send a 20-item survey to 931 individuals in the United States. Respondents qualified for participation if they acknowledged having obtained or considered obtaining a cosmetic procedure. Of the 931 individuals polled, 323 (35%) met inclusion criteria; 84 (9%) had received a cosmetic procedure, and 239 (26%) had considered one. Nearly three-quarters of respondents (73%) were female; 22% of respondents were aged 18-29 years, 25% were aged 30-44 years, 29% were aged 45-59 years, and 24% were aged 60 years and older.
The top three sources for referral to cosmetic procedures/providers were physicians (67%), family or friends (57%), and Google searches (51%). However, fewer than half of respondents (42.5%) had a procedure performed after having a consultation. Reasons for this could be related to several factors, Dr. Wulkan said, including the cost of the procedure, fear of adverse events, or not being an appropriate candidate for treatment at the time of consultation.