March 2020

In March 2020, Dr Lanzer and Pureprofile asked 2,000 Australian’s to share their opinions on cosmetic surgery. The survey covers the current COVID-19 pandemic, as well as overseas procedures, reasons for procedures and more. The majority of respondents have not undergone cosmetic surgery, yet 13% are having or considering a procedure in the next 12 months.

Is Coronavirus Making People Change There Plans for Cosmetic Surgery?

When asked whether plans to have overseas procedures have been changed due to the Coronavirus pandemic, 5% of surveyees stated they are now considering having their operations performed in Australia, while 3% of respondents want to go ahead with plans to go overseas and 3% are putting their surgeries on hold for the medium term. Opinions on whether Covid-19 would increase a patients chances of post-surgery infections were spilt, with 40% believing that a patient would be more susceptible.

Why and Where People Would Consider Getting Cosmetic Surgery

Southeast Asia is a popular location for overseas surgery, with 38% of respondents stating they would travel to Thailand for a procedure. Additionally. 11% said they would go to Malaysia, 7% to India and 7% to Indonesia, specifically Bali. 7% of respondents said they would travel to the United States, while of the European countries, the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom were the most popular locations. Additionally, over 3% of Australians would only ever have cosmetic surgery performed in Australia. 

When asked what area of the body they would consider getting cosmetic surgery on, Face, Liposuction, Breasts, Legs and Dental were the most popular responses. Yet, if the procedure was performed overseas, 63% of people stated they would have dental work completed. 

There was no general consensus when asked the reason why a person would have surgery. Nearly 30% of respondents stated health prevention would be the leading reason,  while 26% said self-improvement would be the reason. 23% said they would get corrective surgery, while 20% would undergo surgery for the confidence boost. 

Who Did We Survey?

For those we surveyed, the price of the procedure was the most crucial factor when finding a cosmetic surgery. Google reviews and word of mouth are also popular methods, with only 5% of surveyees choosing based on doctors referrals and recommendations.