UK cosmetic surgery figures reach record level
A record number of Britons underwent cosmetic surgery last year, and demand for all procedures is up, figures show.
New data from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) found that 51,140 procedures were carried out in 2015, up 13% on the previous year.
Breast enlargement remains the most popular operation, with 9,652 procedures in 2015 (up 12% on 2014).
Eyelid surgery is also popular among both sexes, with 8,689 procedures (up 12%), followed by face or neck lifts (7,419, up 16%) and breast reduction (6,246, up 13%).
Liposuction saw the biggest jump - up 20% - with 5,551 procedures in 2015.
Nose jobs, fat transfers from one part of the body to another, tummy tucks and brow lifts were also on the list.
Women accounted for 46,526 procedures, with the most popular operations being breast enlargements, eyelid surgery, face and neck lifts and breast reduction.
Some 3,001 procedures were for fat transfer - where fat is moved from one area to another, such as to the bottom or breasts.
Among men, the most popular surgery was eyelid surgery, followed by nose jobs, breast reduction, liposuction and pinning back ears.
Some 260 procedures among men were for fat transfer while 117 were for tummy tucks.
Although men account for just 9% of the total number of cosmetic surgery operations in the UK, their numbers have nearly doubled over the past decade (from 2,440 procedures in 2005 to 4,614 in 2015).
Doctors from BAAPS reported that women are shunning the "glamour model look" when opting for breast enlargement, instead preferring implants that look more natural.
Consultant plastic surgeon and former BAAPS president, Rajiv Grover, said: "The audit has shown that demand for cosmetic surgery continues to increase following the quieter period in 2014 which mirrored the British economy.
"The double digit rise in surgical procedures suggests that the public are choosing to spend on treatments with a proven track record such as facelifts and liposuction, which remain as the gold standard for facial rejuvenation and body contouring.
"Perhaps the decline of the 'hyper-masculine' look fashionable last year which has given way to a sharper, more slimline shape has influenced men - and it certainly appears both genders seem encouraged by a new openness in glamorous celebrities admitting they have had a little surgical help to enhance their looks.
"There is a danger however that this presents the image of cosmetic surgery as a commodity, so the public must always be warned that an operation is not something that can simply be returned to the shop if you don't like it."
