What Is Ethnic Plastic Surgery?
An ethnic group is group of people with common ancestry who share a distinctive culture and certain common facial and physical characteristics. Ethnic plastic surgery generally refers to cosmetic surgical procedures performed on African Americans, Asian Americans, and Hispanic Americans, although Caucasians also belong to their own ethnic group.
People from different ethnic groups may want to maintain their own ethnic identity. Cosmetic plastic surgeons should not apply a European standard of beauty to all patients alike. Dr. Pfeifer provides personalized, state-of-the-art care to every patient she treats.
Instead of targeting cosmetic surgery at assimilation, many ethnic patients want to improve their appearance without obscuring their ethnic identities. For example, a Latina woman may request breast implants and buttocks lift to attain feminine curves consistent with her own ethnicity.
Breast Augmentation among Ethnic Groups
Breast augmentation continues to be the most popular cosmetic surgical procedure among all ethnic groups across the nation. A total of 290,000 breast augmentation procedures were performed in 2013.
- Hispanic Americans: ASPS reports that Hispanic Americans led all ethnic groups in the number of plastic surgical procedures performed in 2013, accounting for 11% of the $13.1 cosmetic plastic surgery total. Depending on their origins in Central or South America, Hispanic women have various physical distinctions. However, standard Hispanic beauty is characterized by olive skin tone, dark hair, and a curvaceous, voluptuous body. Breast augmentation was among the most commonly requested cosmetic procedures among Hispanic Americans, along with nose reshaping and liposuction.
- Asian Americans accounted for 7% of all cosmetic plastic surgical procedures. Breast augmentation, nose reshaping, and eyelid surgery were the 3 most commonly requested procedures. Asian women tend to be lighter and more petite than most Western women. Many Asian patients have pre-operative cup sizes of less than A, A, or A-B. Breast augmentation surgery should result in a cup size that makes an Asian woman look and feel more attractive, but not disproportionately large, fake, or unnatural.
- African Americans: Among African American women, breast reduction was among the most commonly requested procedures in 2013, but not breast augmentation. African American and Asian patients may run an increased risk of scarring with breast augmentation and breast reduction surgery. Because of melanin, a brown pigment in the skin, keloids and hypertrophic scarring are common among patients of African and Asian ancestry, appearing as thickened, raised tissue along an incision line. To minimize the problem, incisions can be strategically placed for less visibility in breast augmentation or breast reduction surgery.
Whatever your ethnicity, Tracy Pfeifer, MD, will give personal attention to your particular needs. Our medical team works hard to provide the best possible medical care and results, along with a pleasant patient experience in a comfortable environment.