The Holidays Are a Splendid Time for Cosmetic Surgery

December is known as the season of giving, a time to reflect on the past year, and the biggest month for cosmetic surgery. Plastic surgeons have reported an increase of 20 to 30 percent for procedures during this month than the rest of the year. Why would the holiday season be the most popular time for cosmetic enhancements? Perhaps it could be due to people wanting to treat themselves to bodily improvements; a brand new look for a brand new year.

On Slate, Rachel E. Gross writes that the reason for the rise of treatments and procedures in December is actually due to all the holiday downtime. A long break from work and other commitments can provide adequate time for recovery. She also points out the benefiting factor of some surgeons choosing to offer bonuses to their patients, such as allowing them to nominate a friend for a free facelift, as well as gift cards for Botox, laser hair removal, and even breast implants.

Less invasive procedures are also more popular now than the average nose job. Ross describes injectables and the Platelet Rich Plasma facial, the anti-aging procedure in which a person injects their own blood into their face — like that one episode of Kourtney and Kim Take Miami when Kim Kardashian got a “vampire facial” — are the hottest items on surgery wish lists.