Tampa has a booming beauty business! Florida has the highest rate of plastic surgery procedures per capita in the United States. While Miami holds the top spot for cities nationwide, Tampa now falls into the top ten and is still growing. In 2018, 72 plastic surgeons in Tampa were members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Today, there are 93. That's more than a 25% jump in seven years. Brooke Bauman, a 28-year-old from Tampa, showcases her active lifestyle to a following of nearly 50,000 on Instagram and TikTok. She's also transparent about receiving injectables and a breast augmentation, a decision that she said makes her feel more feminine. "I think that was one area I always struggled with. I just wanted to feel like I had a curve in some way. I didn't grow up with hips and all of this stuff," Bauman said. She said moving to Tampa a few years ago also played a role. "As you're in bikinis more and having more skin shown, it was just an insecurity I still had," she added. "Being in Tampa all year round, with a fitness focus, everyone wants to be their best selves." Moreover, Bauman feels augmentations are accepted and normalized here. "It's kind of funny to say, but it's like the "Jeep wave," there's like this augmentation recognition. It's just a respect thing," she said. For those reasons, renowned Tampa plastic surgeon Dr. Demetri Arnaoutakis said the plastic surgery industry is thriving here. "I think Miami has always been a leader in plastic surgery and I think in Tampa we've caught up quite a bit," Dr. Arnaoutakis said. While he once split time between L.A. and Tampa offices, he now works full-time in Tampa. "We've just gotten so busy here that I just can't travel anymore," he said. He said business started to spike in 2020.