Abstract:
Plastic Surgery statistics indicate that there has been a shift in the types of cosmetic surgeries Americans are choosing. The top surgical procedures include tummy tucks, breast augmentations, nose reshapings and eyelid surgeries. The fastest growing surgical procedures are buttock implants and lifts according to data from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. This paper examines the effect of Kim Kardashian’s and Nicki Minaj’s rise to prominence on cosmetic surgery consumption in the United States. Using a sample of United States plastic surgery data from 1997 to 2016 from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, supplemented with Google trends data and data from the Federal Reserve Economic Database, we employ a difference in difference approach. We empirically test whether cosmetic surgery consumption changes after Kim Kardashian’s and Nicki Minaj’s rise to prominence. We find that post 2013, after Kim Kardashian’s and Nicki Minaj’s rise to prominence there is a 51% increase in breast augmentations, buttock augmentations, buttock lifts and tummy tucks compared to other cosmetic surgeries. Results show a 20% increase in cosmetic surgical procedures performed. Results also show as Kim Kardashian’s celebrity interest rises by 1%, the consumption of Kardashian and Minaj-style cosmetic surgeries increases by 2%. We argue that Nicki Minaj and Kim Kardashian are the tastemakers in the cosmetic surgery market and that they influence individuals cosmetic surgery consumption.
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