Plastic Surgery

Plastic surgeons nationally and locally say that several factors are behind the trend: Buoyed by such TV shows as "Extreme Makeover" and "The Swan," overall interest in plastic surgery has grown. Demographic shifts have rendered the population more diverse. Minorities have become more affluent, giving them the extra income to spend on such procedures.

Cosmetic surgery "is not so much a taboo in the ethnic consumer market anymore," says Dr. David Watts, a Philadelphia-area plastic surgeon, who is developing a skin-care line customized for minority patients. "Now it has become so mainstream, it's just considered a fact of life.

"In Whittaker's case, the nose job wasn't a big deal. She likes her reflection more, but others don't notice a dramatic change. If she runs into someone she hasn't seen for a while, they don't comment on her nose but say just that she looks good. "You can tell a difference, but it's so subtle I still look totally like myself," says Whittaker.

Nose reshaping is the most commonly requested procedures for Asian-Americans and blacks, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Breast augmentation leads the pack for Hispanic patients.

In 2006 there were more than 2.5 million cosmetic surgery procedures performed on non-Caucasian patients, accounting for 23 percent of all plastic surgery patients. As plastic surgery has gained acceptance among minorities, the ideas of attractiveness has changed, says Watts. Women such as J.Lo, Lucy Liu and Beyonce are now all considered among the fairest in the land.

"It's no longer just this Nicole Kidman look that spans everything for everyone," Watts says. "People are really looking at what's considered beautiful, and I think it's starting to cross all of these ethnic borders."

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