Experts warn patients to prioritise safety as demand for beauty ops rise in both sexes

New figures have revealed that more British people than ever opted to go under the knife for cosmetic surgery in 2015.

A new report from The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (Baaps) showed there were 51,140 surgical procedures last year – a 13% increase of over 5500 on 2014. 

The rise in cosmetic procedures follows a decline in recent years following the recession and the scandal over faulty breast implants. 

Although nine out of 10 procedures were on women, numbers of men having cosmetic surgery were also on the increase. 

Breast enlargement was the most popular procedure with 9,652 operations in 2015, up 12 per cent on 2014. 

Popular with both men and women, eyelid surgery saw 8,689 procedures (up 12 per cent), followed by face or neck lifts (7,419, up 16 per cent) and breast reduction (6,246, up 13 per cent).

The biggest rise in demand was for liposuction  which went up 20 per cent – 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 more popular than in previous years.

The most popular procedure in men the most was eyelid surgery, followed by nose jobs, breast reduction, liposuction and pinning back ears.

The report indicates that although they only account for nine per cent of cosmetic surgery operations in the UK, the number of men has almost doubled over the past decade (from 2,440 procedures in 2005 to 4,614 in 2015).

Mandy Luckman, a specialist cosmetic surgery lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, who developed the ‘BeautyTracker’ app to help people document the progress of their surgeries, said the increase means it is more important than ever for patients to protect themselves.

Expert Opinion

The increase in demand for cosmetic surgery comes as no surprise given the economy is recovering from recession and people have more disposable income.
We have seen first-hand the devastating impact on patients when cosmetic procedures go wrong.

No matter how minor a procedure, any type of cosmetic surgery, is a major decision and shouldn’t be taken lightly or without proper consideration.

Regardless of your gender - if you’ve made the decision to go ahead it is vital to undertake thorough research including the procedure itself and the surgeon carrying out the operation.

Correcting or undoing a procedure after it has gone wrong is hard to do and there is a chance you may end up in a worse situation than before you started.
Mandy Luckman - Director of Strategic Growth (Seriously Injured and Vulnerable Audience)

For more information about the BeautyTracker app, please visit www.irwinmitchell.com and https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/beautytracker/id995644516?mt=8 or it can be now downloaded for free in the App Store (IOS).