The price of beauty has always been a steep ticket to pay for some women. From fancy shopping sprees to high-dollar makeovers, going glamorous has always taken a lot of time, money and hard work. But according to statistics, women are no longer settling for just the occasional makeover anymore; they’re now going full steam ahead with various methods of plastic surgery to better their looks and heighten their sex appeal. The biggest trend, however, circles around African-American women, who have seen a 5 percent increase in the number of plastic surgeries since 2008, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

The number of plastic surgeries among African-American women rose from 942,571 in 2008 to 985,907 in 2009, the last available update. So what’s caused the increase? Experts vary in their stances. The ASPS listed the most common procedures during the last two years as breast reduction, liposuction and nose-reshaping, not quite along the lines of the skin lighteners and Botox injections that has exploded among celebrities. According to the ASPS, the most common minimally invasive procedures over the past few years included Botox/Dysport, injectable fillers and chemical peels.

Regardless of the surgery type, one Chicago-based plastic surgeon said plastic surgery procedures are on the rise. “I definitely have [seen an increase],” says plastic surgeon Julius Few, director of the Few Institute for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. “I’ve seen a number of women of color coming in now understanding that there’s more technology available to meet the unique needs of skins of color. In particular, women of color are trying to do everything they can to look marketable and look their best. I think that assuming the economy stays stable, it’s a trend that will continue.”