Beauty op figures reveal subtle look
By Edie Bourne
Plastic surgeons claim latest cosmetic surgery operation statistics are a clear message to the aesthetic sector – patients are now more inclined to go for the subtle and understated look.
According to the president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), people are also doing their research, taking their time and coming for operations with realistic expectations.
Mr Michael Cadier (right) said 2014 figures showed patients were after a refreshed or youthful appearance rather than more conspicuous alterations.
BAAPS believes a more cautious, rational attitude towards cosmetic surgery was reflected in a 9% drop in cosmetic operations since 2013, with some procedures falling considerably more out of favour than others.
‘Tweaked, not tucked’ appears to be the new aesthetic ideal, with the demand for understated anti-ageing procedures such as eyelid surgery, face lifts and fat transfer remaining largely unchanged – yet more ‘conspicuous’ treatments such as tummy tucks and nose jobs dropping dramatically.
And while breast augmentation kept its top place as the most popular surgical procedure, demand plunged by a quarter (23%).
Despite a boom over the past decade in male surgery, the men of 2014 largely eschewed cosmetic enhancements, with male figures decreasing by 15% overall.
Nose jobs – last year’s most popular procedure for men – plummeted by as much as 30% and even ‘moob’ reduction sagged by 10%.
All-male procedures took a tumble, although less dramatically in terms of subtle treatments such as male eyelid surgery, which barely drooped by 4% and became their most popular op.
The ratio of men remained the same, with male patients accounting for roughly one in ten (9%) of all surgical procedures.
Female numbers decreased by 9% overall although surgical liposuction for women rose in popularity by a considerable 10%.
The number of total surgical procedures in 2014 was 45,506 and their order of popularity has shifted for the first time in five years.
The BAAPS welcomed these new trends, attributing them to an increasingly educated public realising that surgery is rarely the quick fix it is widely marketed as.