Why Are Less People Opting For Cosmetic Surgeries In India; Experts Say Lurking Recession, Job Loss

Aesthetic or cosmetic surgery procedures are the treatments that one goes through to enhance one’s appearance of face or body performed by a plastic surgeon. According to a global survey by the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS)in 2020, India ranked 10th in the world with 5,24,604 cosmetic procedures conducted in a year. The surgeries account for 2.1 per cent of all procedures recorded globally. 

In India non surgical as well as surgical cosmetic procedures contribute almost equally to the total tally of procedures performed in the country, non surgical procedures are minimally invasive treatments which are easy to undergo and recover from, and their changes are usually temporary, while surgical procedures are much longer lasting or even permanent.

Although the industry in India has seen a considerable decline over the years with 8,78,180 procedures in 2016 to 6,43,752 in 2019 and to even lesser procedures in 2020, the industry still has potential to thrive because of the growing awareness among people about the procedures. 

“Cosmetic surgery is a feel good surgery. People get it done when they are in a good frame of mind. Not when the recession is lurking, jobs are lost and savings are used for daily living. Covid has also played a large role in the last couple of years. Also the skin of Indians ages slowly hence the requirement of surgery for ageing is also less,” said  Dr Ashok B C, Consultant Plastic, Reconstructive and Cosmetic Surgery, Manipal Hospital.

As per the global survey report, USA and Brazil lead the charts with the most number of procedures done globally, and among the most seeked cosmetic procedures, breast augmentation is taking the lead with 16 per cent of all procedures, followed by liposuction which is at 15.1 per cent of all aesthetic treatments in the world. Interestingly, females are dictating their presence in both the procedures with 98.6 percent of all breast augmentation and 85.2 percent of all liposuction procedures being performed on women with majority of women belonging to the 19-34 age bracket.

In India, however, hair removal procedures followed by liposuction, rhinoplasty and breast augmentation are the most seeked procedures by people, with close to 2,400 surgeons aiding the cause in the country which amounts to 5.5 per cent of all plastic surgeons around the globe. Dr Ashok explained that the demand of procedures in India depends on the region and the gender for instance, in the south, it is for making skin fairer. In the east it's the eyelid surgery and rhinoplasty procedure. In younger women, it is breast surgery. In the middle-aged population, it is breast lifts, tummy tucks, and liposuctions. And In men it's majorly hair transplants and surgery for male breasts.

“Today the patient is more and more specific about his demands. He wants the maximum out of every procedure. This has led to further innovations such as autologous fat transfer to different areas in order to get a better and more natural and long-term result. The techniques of liposculpturing are resulting In high definition liposuctions with much more precision and superior results. The laser technology has come in a big way as an adjuvant to surgery,” enumerated Dr Nilesh Satbhai Senior Consultant, Plastic, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, Global Hospitals, Mumbai.

The cosmetic surgery market is also tackling several challenges that are hindering the further growth of the segment Dr Satbhai says that lack of regulations and administrative control leads to untrained and unqualified individuals to venture in the field of aesthetic surgery. This leads to sprouting of frivolous cosmetic clinics which have limited capability to handle complications or ensure safety. Hence, it is important for the patients to do good research and select a well-qualified and experienced plastic surgeon for their surgery.  

India also receives 5.2 percent of the patients from foreign countries for the cosmetic procedures, with medical tourism booming in the country, and the Indian model getting popular around the world this number is set to rise in the coming years, Dr Satbhai says the knowledge and skills of Indian Surgeons are very well accepted and appreciated across the world. So the coming years will see a definite rise in the number of international patients travelling to India for various cosmetic surgeries.