OBJECTIVE: Our study investigated the current market distribution of body contouring providers in the aesthetic field.
METHODS: For the 30 most populous cities, data were collected for non-invasive body contouring providers in medical spas and physician practices. Descriptive ratios were calculated, and various local factors were examined.
RESULTS: The cities with the greatest number of body contouring providers were New York (138), Los Angeles (106), and Houston (87). Population size had a significant relationship, while median household income did not. For number of body contouring providers per 100 000 persons, the top cities were Austin (4.87), Houston (3.74), and Las Vegas (3.41). The mean ratio of providers in medical spas to physician practices was 1.81. In total, 70.0% of cities had equal or more body contouring providers in medical spas than physician practices.
CONCLUSIONS: Certain cities have experienced an unequal distribution of body contouring providers, and many cities are skewed in favor of medical spas over physician-based practices.