According to The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) Cosmetic Surgery Statistics:

  • Nearly 11.7 million surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures performed in the United States in 2007
  • Top five non-surgical cosmetic procedures in 2007: Botox Injection (2,775,176 procedures); hyaluronic acid (1,448,716 procedures); laser hair removal (1,412,657 procedures); microdermabrasion (829,658 procedures); and IPL laser treatment (647,707 procedures)
  • Top five surgical procedures for women: breast augmentation, liposuction, eyelid surgery, abdominoplasty and breast reduction
  • Top five surgical procedures for men: liposuction, eyelid, surgery, rhinoplasty, breast reduction to treat enlarged male breasts, and hair transplantation

With Americans spending just under 13.2 billion on cosmetic procedures last year (ASPS), it was inevitable that a health-community site would sprout up centered around beauty through cosmetic enhancement.

RealSelf was developed by Tom Seery (who used to work at Expedia) in 2006 after his wife complained that it was easier to find reviews on hotels than laser surgery. Backed by investors with impressive backgrounds: Rich Barton (Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Zillow), Nick Hanauer, and Bill Gossman, the site is making a splash in the cosmetic industry.

RealSelf contains reviews by patients who has undergone cosmetic surgery. What makes the site so addictive are the stories told by patients complete with extremely vivid pictures. Besides patients’ contribution, the site has board-certified cosmetic surgeons answering questions, which further adds to the site’s credibility. This is a great site for those considering an enhancement to their beauty and need information from people who have gone through the surgery.