According to a new survey by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS), there has been a dramatic rise in non-invasive procedures in facial plastic surgery. Americans want quicker results and less recovery time. The annual poll of 1,336 of the organization\'s member surgeons found that there was a 69 percent increase among women and an astonishing 91 percent increase among men undergoing non-surgical facial plastic surgery since 2000.

Minimally invasive treatments that offer patients less ‘down time’ are increasing in popularity. The trend toward non-invasive cosmetic procedures has allowed more Americans to get the look they want without having to turn their busy lifestyles upside down.

Plastic surgeons offer advice to patients before they decide to have plastic surgery. It’s a good idea to select a board-certified surgeon who specializes in plastic surgery of the face, head and neck. One of the most important questions a patient or parent should ask a potential surgeon is the frequency which he or she performs a given procedure. When seeking facial plastic surgery, patients should understand that a board certified facial plastic surgeon\'s experience and expertise focuses on plastic surgery of the face, head and neck.

With more and more people wanting to look younger and feel better and as interest in facial plastic surgery procedures has increased, the new AAFPRS study reveals that 86 percent of doctors agree that patients are more educated about facial plastic surgery than ever before. Awareness of various procedures, results and recovery time play an important role in the decision-making process. Patient education has become progressively more prominent, making a doctor\'s visit comparable to a job interview.

Women continue to be the most likely candidates for facial plastic surgery, with 77 percent of all surgical procedures and 81 percent of non-surgical procedures performed on women. The most common cosmetic surgical procedure undergone by women in 2006 was blepharoplasty (eye surgery), followed by rhytidectomy/rhytidoplasty (facelifts), lip augmentations, rhinoplasty (nose surgery) and ablative skin resurfacing. The most common non-surgical cosmetic procedure in 2006 performed on women was Botox(R), followed by microdermabrasion, chemical peels and hyaluronic acid injections.

This year\'s AAFPRS survey results demonstrate a substantial long-term and short-term difference in ethnic groups undergoing facial plastic surgery. Compared to 1999, African Americans who underwent cosmetic surgery has increased by 77 percent, Hispanics increased 56 percent and Asian American\'s increased by 60 percent. Asian Americans demonstrated the largest growth rate since 2005, expanding by 35 percent last year alone.

When compared to the other facial cosmetic procedures offered, the 2006 survey revealed that African Americans were most likely to undergo rhinoplasty (62 percent) as were Hispanics (53 percent). Asian-Americans were most likely receiving blepharoplasty (44 percent), while Caucasians opted almost equally between blepharoplasty and rhinoplasty (32 percent versus 29 percent).