Austin Cosmetic Trends Reflect New National Data, Plastic Surgeon Says

AUSTIN, TX, March 02, 2014 (Press-News.org) According to Dr. Rocco Piazza of PIAZZA, Center for Plastic Surgery and Advanced Skin Care (www.thepiazzacenter.com), national trends in cosmetic enhancement parallel those at his plastic surgery practice in Austin.

On Feb. 26, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) released its annual report documenting the number and type of cosmetic procedures performed nationwide during the past year. The 2013 statistics show more than 15 million procedures were performed and that a recent uptick in the popularity of minimally invasive alternatives to surgery is still going strong.

"Patients and providers both love the innovations in minimally invasive products in the past couple of years," Dr. Piazza says. "I'm seeing more and more people come to my practice who might not have in the past because they didn't want to invest the money or the time required for surgery. But now they have these highly effective new options to fix trouble spots or signs of aging that have been bothering them."

Overall, minimally invasive treatments increased 3% from 2012 to 2013. Among the treatments that saw the most growth according to the statistics were hyaluronic acid-based dermal filler injections. These are used to plump up areas of the face that have developed wrinkles or lost volume with age. This category of treatments saw 18% growth in 2013. Dr. Piazza says the introduction at the end of 2013 of a new filler called JUVEDERM VOLUMA XC seems to be driving traffic at his Austin plastic surgery practice.

"It's because it really works," Piazza says. "There has never been such an effective way to plump up the cheeks that didn't require surgery. Innovations like VOLUMA XC are what drives the kind of growth we see in these new statistics."

Other advances Dr. Piazza credits with fueling cosmetic trends include innovations with breast implants. Breast augmentation, which was up 1%, has been the most popular plastic surgery procedure in the U.S. for years, and Dr. Piazza says the development of more natural-looking and -feeling implants is part of the reason it continues to grow.

"Gummy bear-style implants have been extremely popular for breast augmentation. Austin women and those around the country have really embraced the new silicone," he says. Piazza goes on to note that more than 70% of his patients now choose those implants, which are filled with highly cohesive silicone that holds its shape and that looks and feels more natural than past options.

Other treatments that saw significant growth include reconstructive surgeries such as breast reconstruction, which may be due in part to national movements such as the Breast Reconstruction Awareness Day (BRA Day) campaign promoting breast cancer patients' options.

"Breast reconstruction grew 4%, which likely means more women are realizing what great options they have," says Dr. Piazza. "I think that's remarkable." Dr. Piazza performs breast reconstruction, and has served in panel discussions to increase awareness.

Overall, Dr. Piazza says, he looks forward to examining these statistical reports each year to gauge how he can best meet his patients' needs, and what trends are on the horizon.

"I want to be informed about what's going on across the country so I can be sure to keep Austin at the forefront," he says.

Dr. Rocco C. Piazza of PIAZZA, Center for Plastic Surgery and Advanced Skin Care (www.thepiazzacenter.com), offers the most advanced procedures available to meet a wide range of cosmetic needs. After graduating summa cum laude from Baylor University, he attended University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. Dr. Piazza completed his plastic surgery training at the Grand Rapids Medical Education and Research Center in Michigan under 20 board-certified plastic surgeons, including the world-renowned breast surgeon Dr. Dennis C. Hammond. This diverse training experience gave him wide exposure to many different surgical techniques in facial aesthetics, trauma reconstruction, breast and body contouring, and the latest advances in non-surgical facial rejuvenation. Dr. Piazza is a member of the Spokespersons Network of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons , representing the prestigious group by providing the media with information on a broad range of plastic surgery topics. Dr. Piazza and his staff are committed to healthy eating, he is an advocate for exercise, and he has created a comfortable practice environment focused on anti-aging skin care, non-surgical facial rejuvenation with injectables (JUVEDERM, Restylane, and Scultpra Aesthetic) for volume restoration, and reconstructive and aesthetic surgery.