There are four medical societies in Germany for the field of aesthetic surgery. The entire field of plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery is represented by the German Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (Deutsche Gesellschaft der Plastischen, Rekonstruktiven und Ästhetischen Chirurgen, DGPRÄC). The newer Association of German Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (Vereinigung der Deutschen Ästhetisch-Plastischen Chirurgen, VDÄPC) is a subsidiary which is specifically concerned with the field of aesthetic surgery.

While DGPRÄC and VDÄPC obtain their statistical data through surveys among the doctors organized in them, the German Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (DGÄPC) conducts regular patient surveys. 

The unique feature of the Society for Aesthetic Surgery Germany (Gesellschaft für Ästhetische Chirurgie Deutschland, GÄCD) is that, in addition to specialists in plastic and aesthetic surgery, its members also include, for instance, dermatologists or oral and maxillofacial surgeons who offer cosmetic treatments as part of other medical specializations. In the past it has also published statistical data on the aesthetic procedures performed by its members.

The figures mentioned in this Blickpunkt on the prevalence of various cosmetic treatments must be viewed under the methodological reservation that they are collected by specialist medical associations within the framework of voluntary member surveys. As by no means all of the doctors surveyed take part in the survey, the survey results are extrapolated to the total number of members. These surveys generally do not include cosmetic procedures that are not performed by specialists in plastic and aesthetic surgery. No reliable data are available on the frequency with which non-surgical and surgical-aesthetic treatments are performed by doctors with other specializations. However, it can be assumed that the actual incidence of aesthetic procedures is many times higher than the figures provided by the specialist medical associations suggest.