Plastic Surgery UK - 2010 Market Report

The UK’s Plastic Surgery Addiction

Our latest plastic surgery report reveals that plastic surgery within the UK is on a strong growth trend upwards, showing that the barriers of surgery and price are clearly not getting in the way of demand for aesthetic enhancement of our bodies. The facts and figures reveal interesting patterns in operations, demographics and popularity throughout the UK.

The Growing Market of Plastic Surgery

66% growth rate in the past 5 years has seen the development of an industry that can offer a wider range of services to both men and women. Although women have clearly sustained this growth rate, demanding 10x more plastic surgery than men, men have also been reaching out for cosmetic procedures, increasing by nearly 50% since 2005.

Geographical Variation in Cosmetic Surgery

Geographical demand for cosmetic surgery in the UK highlights that certain cities are clearly vainer or less inhibitive than others. Sheffield’s flying the flag for plastic surgery with a rating of 10 on the Vanity Index, closely followed by Greater London, Bristol and Nottingham. If anyone wants to view an ‘au natural’ Britain then take a quick trip to the Outer Hebrides where there have been 0 operation requests in the last 5 years.

A Clear Winner

As expected, a leading 12,000+ Boob Jobs amongst all procedures within cosmetic surgery in the last 5 years places it firmly at the top of the surgical list. The figures also provide a number of surprises though; with a third of this figure being for Breast Reduction rather than Augmentation.

Male Cosmetic Procedures Vs Female Cosmetic Procedures

Whilst Boob jobs clearly lead the way for women, Men have shown us that they see nose jobs (Rhinoplasty) as the favourite aesthetic improvement for an enhanced male physique. The variations in surgical requests reveal how cosmetic surgery can suit the differing needs and desires for both men and women. Ear correction (542 operations since 2005) and Liposuction (499 operations) fight their way into the top 5 procedures for Men, whilst Women opt for Facelifts (4005) and Tummy Tucks (3268).

Plastic Surgery for Men and Women

The common ground appears to be held by Breast Reduction (top 3 for both men and women) and Eyelid Operations (top 2 for both genders) showing that it’s not just a picture of differences between the sexes.

Different Types of Cosmetic Surgery

An ever more accessible market as well as improvements in surgical techniques has seen certain cosmetic procedures come on in leaps and bounds. Liposuction leads the way here with a growth rate of 144% since 2005. This growth is maintained across the board with a 51% growth rate for Boob Jobs allowing it to maintain its pole position. Tummy Tucks and Facelifts, growing 82% and 85% respectively, highlight the selection and choices available to us.

The Future of Plastic Surgery

The prospect of greater self confidence in our appearance, as well as addressing certain aspects of inhibition for people, clearly attracts the UK population to this relatively quick fix and long term solution. A year on year growth trend over the 5 year period makes the figures good reading for plastic surgeons everywhere.