Created on 30th November -0001
Greater representation of black or Latino surgeons on television is helping to boost the number of ethnic-minority adults turning to cosmetic treatments, it has been claimed.
According to recently-published figures from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, in 2007 a quarter of all cosmetic surgery procedures were carried out on ethnic patients, with Hispanics leading the way.
Though the popularity of both invasive and non-invasive procedures is booming across all demographics, some experts believe that this is particularly the case among minorities, with further growth to be expected in this area.
"If you look at market dynamics, it is almost an untapped area," noted Dr Kofi Boahene, assistant professor of facial and plastic and reconstructive surgery at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
"Training usually is generic, and usually Caucasian, but that is changing," he added, suggesting that as more surgeons come from ethnic minority groups, so too will growing numbers of patients.
Speaking to the Washington Post, he added, however, that white patients will continue to be the driving force behind non-invasive procedures as pigmentation differences make darker skinned people less susceptible to damage from the sun. 
