Lists of “the surgeries women have most” usually mix body and face. This guide keeps to the face and uses one consistent data set, the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) Global Survey of procedures performed in 2024. Popularity is a poor guide to what you should do, but it helps to know what is common and what is rare.
Key takeaways
- In ISAPS's 2024 global survey, eyelid surgery was the most common facial surgery among women, at about 1.63 million procedures, followed by rhinoplasty and facial fat grafting.
- Women accounted for roughly three quarters to nine tenths of most facial procedures counted, and about 84% of botulinum toxin treatments.
- The figures count procedures by board-certified plastic surgeons, not people, so they show popularity, not what suits you.
Which facial procedures do women have most?
ISAPS publishes procedure counts by sex. For women in 2024, facial surgery looked like this:
| Procedure | Procedures on women, 2024 | Women’s share of procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Eyelid surgery | 1,625,597 | 76.8% |
| Rhinoplasty | 796,233 | 73.5% |
| Fat grafting, face | 773,067 | 81.6% |
| Lip enhancement / perioral procedures | 660,034 | 90.3% |
| Face lift (all types) | 613,252 | 83.2% |
| Brow lift | 426,707 | 81.4% |
| Neck lift | 386,392 | 80.9% |
| Ear surgery | 232,399 | 63.9% |
The same tables put non-surgical treatments far above any operation in volume: botulinum toxin 6,622,473 procedures on women (84.0% of the total) and hyaluronic acid filler 5,458,666 (86.1%).
Eyelid surgery was also the most common surgical procedure worldwide in 2024, the first year it overtook liposuction. The ISAPS press release lists the world top five as eyelid surgery, liposuction, breast augmentation, scar revision and rhinoplasty. Among women, liposuction still ranked first, followed by eyelid surgery and breast augmentation. Among men, eyelid surgery was first.
How should you read these numbers?
Four limits matter.
- They count procedures, not people. One person can have several procedures in one session.
- They cover board-certified plastic surgeons only. ISAPS says the survey focuses on board-certified plastic surgeons or the national equivalent, and that the final figures are projected from a respondent sample. Procedures by other specialists, such as dermatology or ENT practices, are probably not captured.
- Shares describe who has the procedure, not who wants it. A 90.3% share for lip procedures does not mean 90% of women want them.
- They are global averages. Local trends can differ a lot.
The tables I used do not combine sex and age. The report does give age patterns for all patients: ISAPS reports that 60.1% of rhinoplasties were performed on 18-34-year-olds, and that botulinum toxin was most popular among those aged 35-50 (47.0% of the total).
What do the most common procedures involve?
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) patient pages describe each one in general terms:
- Eyelid surgery addresses loose or sagging skin that folds over the upper eyelid, puffiness from fatty deposits, bags under the eyes, and drooping lower lids.
- Rhinoplasty can address, among other things, an enlarged or bulbous tip, a drooping tip, or an upturned or hooked one. ASPS lists risks that include anesthesia risks, difficulty breathing, infection, scarring, the possibility of revisional surgery and an unsatisfactory nasal appearance.
- Facelift carries listed risks that include anesthesia risks, bleeding, nerve injury with weakness, fluid accumulation, prolonged swelling, unfavorable scarring and asymmetry. ASPS describes them as rare and says they will be discussed before consent.
- Botulinum toxin is described as temporarily reducing facial fine lines and wrinkles, most commonly frown lines, forehead creases and crow’s feet.
For deeper reading, see the guides on eyelid surgery, what rhinoplasty involves, and botulinum toxin.
Does popularity make a procedure right for you?
No. A common procedure has more surgeons practicing it, but suitability depends on your anatomy, health and goals, which only an in-person assessment can judge. A better use of the data is to set expectations: a procedure done by hundreds of thousands of people a year is still surgery, and the published risk lists apply to everyone who has it.
Some questions help when you are comparing options:
- Which of my concerns are structural, and which could a non-surgical treatment address? How long does each last?
- How often do you perform this exact procedure, and can I see results on patients with a face like mine?
- What are the risks that apply to me, and what happens if I am not happy?
- Does my plan make sense as one operation, or should it be staged? See combining facial procedures.
Beauty ideals also shape what people ask for; the guide on facial proportion and harmony looks at that.
Sources
All pages were opened and checked on 10 October 2026.
- ISAPS, International Survey on Aesthetic/Cosmetic Procedures Performed in 2024: gender distribution tables (pp. 75-76), age table and methodology note.
- ISAPS, Global Survey 2024 press release, 19 June 2025.
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Eyelid surgery.
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Rhinoplasty and rhinoplasty safety.
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Facelift safety.
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Botulinum toxin.
