NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Less than 10 percent of adults in the US has ever had some type of cosmetic surgery, yet almost twice as many hope to do so at some point in the future, a survey shows.

The results suggest that trends have changed significantly since the 1960s and 1970s when cosmetic surgery was "rarely talked about," Jeff Knezovich, executive vice president of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (AACS), which sponsored the survey, told Reuters Health. Today, the topic has become a "dinner table conversation," he said.

"People are becoming more aware of cosmetic surgery and its benefits," Knezovich said, noting that an individual's change in appearance may make them feel better, which can consequently lead to their increased performance.

Conducted during July 11-16, the AACS' 2006 Consumer Perspective Survey included 1,010 interviews -- representative of over 1.4 million households -- of men and women, aged 18 to 65 years.

The almost one in five individuals who indicated that they hope to someday undergo cosmetic surgery mostly included women, young adults, and individuals who live in the Western part of the United States, survey findings indicate.

Men were not altogether opposed to the idea, however. Roughly 12 percent responded that they too aspired to undergo some type of cosmetic surgery in the future.

This interest in cosmetic surgery procedures among men is due to the work environment, according to Knezovich. These days, men are thinking: "I have to be competitive in the marketplace... (to) compete with the younger person coming in the door," he said.

Questions about the survey participants' decision making and consumer influence revealed that some of them were motivated to undergo cosmetic surgery because of their belief that an individual's appearance is key to his or her professional success. Roughly 25 percent of men, however, said that their motivation was due to the influence of a wife or girlfriend. Continued...

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