Along with the thirst to watch reality TV came the thirst to perfect one’s body. As more and more everyday people became famous for doing nothing, their desire to look better came right along with it. Social media wasn’t far behind. So, when Dr. Andrew Jimerson decided to practice plastic surgery, little did he know that he would be at the right place, at the right time.
Born in Cleveland Heights, the Hawken High School grad didn’t discover a love for his craft until his third year of medical school.
“I stumbled into plastic surgery when I found out just how creative I could be. It suited my personality. I could create, it was surgery, and I could work with a wide range of people all at the same time,” Jimerson said.
The plastic surgery industry has grown in popularity and continues to grow every year. A new report from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) reveals that Americans spent more than $16.5 billion on cosmetic plastic surgery and minimally invasive procedures in 2018, a four percent increase from the previous year.
When not working Dr. Jimerson enjoys spending time with his family and fishing.
African Americans are no different. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reports that cosmetic augmentation among Black people increased 56 percent between 2005 and 2013. According to the 2016 report, Black people accounted for 8 percent of all procedures in the US — that’s double the percentage from 1997. Black people make up only about 12 percent of the overall population of the United States, which underlines the significance of these plastic surgery statistics.
For Jimerson, that explosive growth, along with Black women’s desire to have a more chiseled body, led to a demand for his services, and therefore his opportunity to perfect his craft. Jimerson can take a soft, unattractive body and turn it into a masterpiece. A body full of curves and shape is what women want and what social media has made the norm.
Based in Atlanta, Jimerson launched his first surgery center in 2008. The son of a doctor, he always knew he would follow in the footsteps of his father at an early age. “He had his own practice, and my mother is a nurse practitioner, so we lived and breathed in the medical field growing up.”
“When I was growing up, my sisters and I always knew that we were going to do something close to what our parents did,” Jimerson continued. “Two of my sisters are dentists and one is an attorney.”
Coming from such an accomplished family, Jimerson was exposed early to taking risks and being his own boss. As his practice started to get noticed, he became affectionately known as Dr. Curves by his patients.
Now, Dr. Curves and his practice are home to all of Atlanta’s elite and he’s attracting clients from all over the country. Jimerson has appeared on numerous television shows and has been offered the opportunity to have his own show.
“We were offered, at one point, to have our own show, but I wanted to keep the focus on changing lives with what we do so we decided that it would not fit with our current business model,” Jimerson said.
The Morehouse graduate likes the current pace of his business. The office had to make swift changes when COVID-19 happened. The company had to lay off fifty employees when the government shut the country down. That forced Jimerson and his reduced team to find a way to remain open until he could resume doing surgeries.
“During that downtime, it gave me a chance to do a deeper dive into my practice,” Jimerson explained. “I developed some new processes for my business and created the software that we use as the framework on how we operate today, so the pandemic was bittersweet.”
Jimerson has always had a passion for giving back. The practice often helps with donations and time for Sickle Cell Anemia, and Jimerson would like to give back and mentor young Black men in the future.
Coming up, Jimerson is in the final stages of growing the practice from one office to two.
“We are in the process of creating a second surgery center. This will give other doctors, who would like a chance to grow their practice, the opportunity to do so,” Jimerson said.
The Cleveland native plans to return home in November and join his extended family at Thanksgiving. For those that are looking for a new look and for those who need a doctor they can trust, you can turn to Dr. Curves and get both at the same time.
