Mother-daughter duo Pamela and Brycen Blinco recently garnered a lot of attention for a very unique reason. In fact, the pair were even featured on the tabloid news program “Inside Edition.” Why? Because both women underwent plastic surgery procedures with the same surgeon, the Austin, Texas-based Dr. Thomas Jeneby, on the same day, one right after another. But the women are hardly alone. The trend of mother-daughter plastic surgery has been growing in popularity as societal views on plastic surgery change with time.

“Plastic surgery used to be a taboo subject, or a big secret,” says Dr. Bruce Chau, a plastic surgeon in Berkeley, Michigan. “But now that more people are talking about it, more people are doing it, and more people are getting work done at a younger age. This opens the door for younger women to come along with their mother for a joint procedure, even if it’s just an injectable.”

Another benefit to the normalization of plastic surgery?

“It’s turning plastic surgery into somewhat of a social outing or a bonding activity, like going with your mother or sister for a manicure or to the spa,” Chau says.

And the numbers seem to support this theory, with many surgeons reporting an increase in patients seeking plastic surgery with a friend or family member in recent years – as much as 34 percent in 2015 alone.

Aside from the social benefits, according to Chau, there are also more practical reasons for getting plastic surgery done as a team.

“There’s always a little apprehension before a surgery. It’s comforting to have someone there with you who is close to you and who isn’t just saying ‘there, there’ and then leaving. They’re there for the jitters before surgery, and they’re there with you during recovery and understand what you’re going through,” Chau says. “You’re in it together – and you can find strength in each other’s encouragement.”