Millennials fuel plastic surgery boom, record butt procedures

Paulo Fridman | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Doctors perform a face-lift in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

That’s also seen with body contouring procedures. Large breasts are still in vogue, but so are big backsides and tiny waists. Buttocks augmentations, which the group started tracking in 2013, have more than doubled since then. Breast enhancement is still the No. 1 elective surgery, but growth has stagnated since a recent peak of 347,527 in 2007 to 313,735 last year, according to the plastic surgeons group.

Liposuction was No. 2, followed by nose jobs, eyelid surgery and tummy tucks last year, according to the group.

“These body contouring are often reflective of what’s popular in culture, and they’re not something that’s achievable on your own,” Matarasso said. “Yes, a big butt is fashionable. But you should be doing it not because your friend did it. You should be doing it for self-improvement.”

Matrasso and Golas warned against electing a procedure just because it’s popular. Some things like implants or fillers may stretch out the skin but can be removed. Other things, like rhinoplasty or face-lifts, can’t be undone.

“That’s something you really should think about. It does have permanent effects on the body,” Golas said. “The ideal of beauty evolves over time. People are gravitating toward what they find beautiful.”