Catharina Klein
Research expert covering Japan
Aesthetic medicine in Japan - statistics & facts
Aesthetic medicine consists of a wide range of surgical and non-surgical procedures that aim to improve people’s appearance. Those procedures can be classified broadly into four categories: cosmetic surgery, aesthetic dermatology, dental aesthetics, and aesthetic internal medicine. Aesthetic medicine can only be administered by licensed medical doctors and is, therefore, differentiated from aesthetic services performed at beauty salons without a medical license. The market size of medical aesthetics in Japan has grown over the past decade, driven by an increasing number of consumers who are willing to invest money in altering or maintaining their looks.
Recently, however, the ratio of non-surgical procedures surpassed that of surgical procedures. This trend can be attributed to the more affordable price point of the non-surgical procedures, increased product portfolios, as well as hesitancy to painful treatments. As of 2020, approximately 835.6 thousand cosmetic non-surgical procedures were performed in Japan, while the surgery number was just over 222.6 thousand. Medical hair removal and the injection of Botulinum toxin (Botox) were the most widely performed aesthetic medicine procedures that year. With medical cosmetic dermatology and internal medicine becoming more of a basic beauty routine, especially among the young generation, the non-surgical field is expected to further grow in the coming years.
Popular procedures
Eyelid surgery has continuously been the most performed cosmetic surgical procedure in the nation. This is mainly due to the aesthetic standard of double eyelids that appear to make eyes look bigger. This standard is deep-rooted in the Japanese beauty ideal and constantly reinforced by representations of aesthetic norms in the media. Many Japanese follow this beauty standard from an early age. Students in school, for example, create double eyelids with a makeup tool and eventually get operated on at the later stage of their lives.Recently, however, the ratio of non-surgical procedures surpassed that of surgical procedures. This trend can be attributed to the more affordable price point of the non-surgical procedures, increased product portfolios, as well as hesitancy to painful treatments. As of 2020, approximately 835.6 thousand cosmetic non-surgical procedures were performed in Japan, while the surgery number was just over 222.6 thousand. Medical hair removal and the injection of Botulinum toxin (Botox) were the most widely performed aesthetic medicine procedures that year. With medical cosmetic dermatology and internal medicine becoming more of a basic beauty routine, especially among the young generation, the non-surgical field is expected to further grow in the coming years.
