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U.S. Cities with the Least Plastic Surgery
Who needs silicone? The residents in these towns embrace their natural beauty and say no to nose jobs, wrinkle fillers and more
Would you spend your savings on cheek implants? Maybe not, if you live in middle America. Or if you live in Arizona, you might prefer a chemical peel instead. Or, if you live in Jersey City, you might skip plastic surgery altogether and learn to love your so-called natural beauty "flaws."
According to 2009 statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), certain parts of the country were more likely to opt for plastic surgery than others, especially if it involved actual surgery. (Contrary to declining surgical procedure rates, the urge to get minimally invasive procedures like Botox has increased.) But just out of curiosity (and to balance our America's Most Plastic Surgery Cities article), we wanted to know which U.S. cities were least likely to get plastic surgery.
To get the list, we sifted through a detailed report of regional plastic surgery statistics from ASPS, and considered rankings from a recent "Men's Health" nationwide study, which also pulled stats from Experian Local Market Services and the American Medical Association (AMA). We also compared total counts of plastic surgeons in ASPS and AMA surgeon directories to recent U.S. Census data to estimate the number of plastic surgeons per capita in the cities mentioned. (Important to note: We expected some margin of error due to missing data, e.g., every physician in each city was not likely listed in the directories.)
Here are the cities that are filled with natural beauty (or depending on how you look at it, flat chests, sagging stomachs and crooked noses -- kidding, kidding.)
No. 10: Buffalo, N.Y.
Buffalo residents were the ninth lowest percentage to use Botox in 2008, according to the "Men's Health" study; and the city ranked No. 7 in their tally of the fewest plastic surgery procedures performed that year. Plus, despite being New York's second most populous city, Buffalo also only averaged about three ASPS/AMA-listed plastic surgeons per 100,000 people. (Can't find one who's available? Try Rochester; they have plenty of plastic surgeons to go around.)
No. 9: Bangor, Maine
Despite being Maine's third most populous city, Bangor only had three ASPS/AMA-listed plastic surgeons, which (for comparison's sake) was the equivalent of nine surgeons per 100,000 people (not counting the greater metro area). It looked like even minimally invasive procedures weren't popular there, as the city was ranked lowest by "Men's Health" when it came to the percentage of residents who used Botox in 2008.
No. 8: Bay City, Mich.
With only one listed plastic surgeon for 36,817 people (that worked out to about three per 100,000), Bay City was super low on the list. Just two hours away was Detroit, which was ranked No. 5 by "Men's Health" for least number of plastic surgeons and made the top 10 for fewest plastic surgery procedures performed nationwide. In fact, Michigan in general seemed pretty comfortable with its natural looks as the entire region had the lowest ASPS numbers of cosmetic procedures in the country.
No. 7: Milwaukee, Wisc.
Milwaukee, despite being the state's largest city, had the tenth least amount of plastic surgeons and sixth fewest amount of plastic surgeries in 2008, according to "Men's Health". Most of those surgeries were likely boob jobs and Botox, judging by the region's ASPS statistics. Milwaukee also averaged about three ASPS/AMA-listed plastic surgeons per 100,000 people. (And by the way, what was up with cities near the Great Lakes?)
No. 6: Fort Wayne, Ind.
"Men's Health" ranked Fort Wayne No. 2 for fewest plastic surgery procedures and No. 7 for lowest percentage of residents who used Botox in 2008. Plus, the city averaged about 3.5 ASPS/AMA-listed plastic surgeons per 100,000 people. (Fun fact: While residents in this region loved breast reductions and butt lifts, they weren't too keen on cheek implants and calf augmentations -- is anyone? This according to ASPS numbers.)
No. 5: Las Cruces, N.M.
Las Cruces fell into the U.S. region with the most overall cosmetic procedures (vain much?) but this quaint southwestern town was definitely an exception to the numbers. As New Mexico's second-largest city (Albuquerque being the largest by far), Las Cruces boasted nearly 100,000 people -- all of whom seem to share only two ASPS/AMA-listed plastic surgeons.
No. 4: Lincoln, Neb.
Identified by "Men's Health" as having the fewest plastic surgeries in 2008, the city of Lincoln barely averaged an equivalent of two ASPS/AMA-listed plastic surgeons per 100,000 people. Plus, it was located in a region where even the rate of Botox injections was one of the lowest in the country (gasp!).
No. 3: Yonkers, N.Y.
Per capita, New York's fourth most populous city had only three ASPS/AMA-listed plastic surgeons, making the ratio about one plastic surgeon per 100,000 people. Plus, despite being located in a region known for nose jobs galore, it was ranked No. 8 by "Men's Health" for the least amount of plastic surgeons, period.
No. 2: San Leandro, Calif.
Where? While San Leandro's proximity to Oakland and San Francisco (one of the country's plastic surgery capitals) made cosmetic procedures quite accessible to this suburban town, we only found one ASPS listing for a board-certified plastic surgeon within its 15 square miles. That translated to one (lucky and filthy rich) plastic surgeon per 100,000 people.
No. 1: Jersey City, N.J.
New Jersey's second-largest city had only two ASPS/AMA-listed plastic surgeons, making there less than one plastic surgeon per 100,000 people to go around. Plus, it was ranked No. 2 by "Men's Health" for the least amount of plastic surgeons overall, which begs the question: Were Jersey citizens really happy with their looks or did they just all go into Manhattan to get work done? We're assuming the latter.
To get the list, we sifted through a detailed report of regional plastic surgery statistics from ASPS, and considered rankings from a recent "Men's Health" nationwide study, which also pulled stats from Experian Local Market Services and the American Medical Association (AMA). We also compared total counts of plastic surgeons in ASPS and AMA surgeon directories to recent U.S. Census data to estimate the number of plastic surgeons per capita in the cities mentioned. (Important to note: We expected some margin of error due to missing data, e.g., every physician in each city was not likely listed in the directories.)
Here are the cities that are filled with natural beauty (or depending on how you look at it, flat chests, sagging stomachs and crooked noses -- kidding, kidding.)
No. 10: Buffalo, N.Y.
Buffalo residents were the ninth lowest percentage to use Botox in 2008, according to the "Men's Health" study; and the city ranked No. 7 in their tally of the fewest plastic surgery procedures performed that year. Plus, despite being New York's second most populous city, Buffalo also only averaged about three ASPS/AMA-listed plastic surgeons per 100,000 people. (Can't find one who's available? Try Rochester; they have plenty of plastic surgeons to go around.)
No. 9: Bangor, Maine
Despite being Maine's third most populous city, Bangor only had three ASPS/AMA-listed plastic surgeons, which (for comparison's sake) was the equivalent of nine surgeons per 100,000 people (not counting the greater metro area). It looked like even minimally invasive procedures weren't popular there, as the city was ranked lowest by "Men's Health" when it came to the percentage of residents who used Botox in 2008.
No. 8: Bay City, Mich.
With only one listed plastic surgeon for 36,817 people (that worked out to about three per 100,000), Bay City was super low on the list. Just two hours away was Detroit, which was ranked No. 5 by "Men's Health" for least number of plastic surgeons and made the top 10 for fewest plastic surgery procedures performed nationwide. In fact, Michigan in general seemed pretty comfortable with its natural looks as the entire region had the lowest ASPS numbers of cosmetic procedures in the country.
No. 7: Milwaukee, Wisc.
Milwaukee, despite being the state's largest city, had the tenth least amount of plastic surgeons and sixth fewest amount of plastic surgeries in 2008, according to "Men's Health". Most of those surgeries were likely boob jobs and Botox, judging by the region's ASPS statistics. Milwaukee also averaged about three ASPS/AMA-listed plastic surgeons per 100,000 people. (And by the way, what was up with cities near the Great Lakes?)
No. 6: Fort Wayne, Ind.
"Men's Health" ranked Fort Wayne No. 2 for fewest plastic surgery procedures and No. 7 for lowest percentage of residents who used Botox in 2008. Plus, the city averaged about 3.5 ASPS/AMA-listed plastic surgeons per 100,000 people. (Fun fact: While residents in this region loved breast reductions and butt lifts, they weren't too keen on cheek implants and calf augmentations -- is anyone? This according to ASPS numbers.)
No. 5: Las Cruces, N.M.
Las Cruces fell into the U.S. region with the most overall cosmetic procedures (vain much?) but this quaint southwestern town was definitely an exception to the numbers. As New Mexico's second-largest city (Albuquerque being the largest by far), Las Cruces boasted nearly 100,000 people -- all of whom seem to share only two ASPS/AMA-listed plastic surgeons.
No. 4: Lincoln, Neb.
Identified by "Men's Health" as having the fewest plastic surgeries in 2008, the city of Lincoln barely averaged an equivalent of two ASPS/AMA-listed plastic surgeons per 100,000 people. Plus, it was located in a region where even the rate of Botox injections was one of the lowest in the country (gasp!).
No. 3: Yonkers, N.Y.
Per capita, New York's fourth most populous city had only three ASPS/AMA-listed plastic surgeons, making the ratio about one plastic surgeon per 100,000 people. Plus, despite being located in a region known for nose jobs galore, it was ranked No. 8 by "Men's Health" for the least amount of plastic surgeons, period.
No. 2: San Leandro, Calif.
Where? While San Leandro's proximity to Oakland and San Francisco (one of the country's plastic surgery capitals) made cosmetic procedures quite accessible to this suburban town, we only found one ASPS listing for a board-certified plastic surgeon within its 15 square miles. That translated to one (lucky and filthy rich) plastic surgeon per 100,000 people.
No. 1: Jersey City, N.J.
New Jersey's second-largest city had only two ASPS/AMA-listed plastic surgeons, making there less than one plastic surgeon per 100,000 people to go around. Plus, it was ranked No. 2 by "Men's Health" for the least amount of plastic surgeons overall, which begs the question: Were Jersey citizens really happy with their looks or did they just all go into Manhattan to get work done? We're assuming the latter.
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Older comments
Yeah, I figured LA wouldn't be on this list
by TBjunkie Monday, May 14, 2012 at 11:04PM Report as inappropriate
Not expected cities.
by lazorc Tuesday, March 6, 2012 at 07:31PM Report as inappropriate
Jersey City? Yeah, I can believe that.
by sharon_smitherson Monday, August 23, 2010 at 09:12PM Report as inappropriate