Yvonne exercises daily and eats healthy food. She doesn’t drink alcohol, is not a couch potato, watches her diet closely and can be found at the gym everyday. But in spite of such a healthy lifestyle, Yvonne could not cut down on the extra weight on her tummy. That’s when Yvonne thought of having Liposuction and Abdinoplasty.

Yvonne joins the growing number of African American women who no longer fear the stigma or shame associated with cosmetic surgery.  Doctors say that African-American women store more fat in the breasts and buttocks than women of other races and liposuction is an affective resolution.

In 2005, African Americans accounted for more than 760,000 cosmetic procedures performed, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. The report states that the most commonly requested cosmetic procedures by African-Americans are rhinoplasty (nose reshaping), liposuction, and breast reduction, which raises the question of patients attempting to erase the broader noses and curvier silhouettes associated with their ethnicities.

According to the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, cosmetic and reconstructive surgery quadrupled among African Americans between 1999 and 2001, which reflects the increase in disposable income and the gradual acceptance of cosmetic surgery in the African American community.

Some doctors believe that most African women are proud of their ethnicity and just want some improvement. While, other doctors believe that the Caucasian standard of beauty still influences African American women today.