Skin cancer removal was the most common procedure performed by dermatologists in the US last year, writes Jenny Berich.

According to the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Association (ASDSA) its members performed more than 3.5 million skin cancer treatments in 2018 – and the number is likely to grow even higher this year.

ASDSA president Dr Murad Alam said the fact that it is the seventh year in a row that skin cancer treatments have been “the most-performed procedures” confirms the growing incidence of the disease.

Dr Alam said reducing the incidence of skin cancer “takes a comprehensive approach”.

“ASDSA is supporting the solution by providing gold standard treatments and a steadfast commitment to create awareness and support prevention education,” he said.

Apart from skin cancer treatments, ASDA members, who performed a total of 12.5 million procedures in 2018, performed nearly nine million cosmetic treatments in 2018 – 7% more than in 2017.

The top cosmetic procedures in 2018 were:

Laser, light and energy-based devices – 3.4 million procedures (74% increase since 2012)
Injectable wrinkle-relaxers – 2.1 million (42% increase since 2012)
Dermal fillers – 1.6 million (78% increase since 2012)
Body sculpting – 623,000 (43% increase since 2017 and “more than four times more than in 2012”)
Chemical peels – 497,000
Sclerotherapy – 135,000
Microneedling – 262,000 (45% increase over 2017)
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) – 72,000
Thread lifts – 33,000

Noting the dramatic increase in body sculpting treatments in the last seven years, Dr Alam said both cryolipolysis, also known as “fat-freezing,” and radio frequency treatments have increased over three times.

In addition, deoxycholic acid (a treatment that reduces fat below the chin) rose more than 43 percent from 2017 to 2018 while microfocused ultrasound treatments (used to tighten skin) increased 38 percent and tumescent liposuction grew 17 percent in the same period.

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