Americans spent $9.3 billion onย all aesthetic procedures in 2020, up from $8.2 billion in 2019, according toย The Aesthetic Society. On TikTok, #plasticsurgery has over 6.8 billion views and popular social pages, likeย @celebplastic,ย @celebrityplasticsย andย @celebbeforeafterย on Instagram, are devoted solely to before-and-after images of celebrities (though they donโt tend to have proof that these celebrities have had aesthetic work, they run on speculation).
Dr. Lara Devgan, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City whoย has over 500,000 followers on Instagramย andย 33,000 followers on TikTok, said that social sharing, particularly among celebrities and influencers, โhas reduced stigma about plastic surgery and medical aesthetics.โ Especially after this strange year, โtransparency and authenticity have become social currency โ nobody believes itโs kale and lemon water keeping you wrinkle-free,โ she said.