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PLASTIC surgery procedures plateau for the first time in a decade
PLASTIC surgery procedures plateau for the first time in a decade
It’s not the end of the affair by any means, but our lust for cosmetic surgery finally seems to be cooling.
New figures from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), to be released tomorrow, show demand for procedures plateaued last year.
It’s the first time there hasn’t been a large increase in more than a decade.
Procedures plateauing: For the first time in over a decade there was not a large increase in the number of plastic surgery procedures
TEARS AND TURMOIL
In 2012, 43,172 cosmetic operations (a year-on-year rise of 0.2 per cent) were carried out by BAAPS surgeons. While the plunge some had predicted did not materialise, it was far from a vintage year for the nip/tuck industry.
The Wild West approach of some High Street providers – the two-for-one offers, hard-selling and rock-bottom prices BAAPS has campaigned against – came back to bite them, with the PIP breast-implant scandal.
It emerged that thousands of British women – and up to half a million worldwide – had been given shoddily made implants that leaked and contained industrial-grade silicone.
One major chain went into administration, while others squabbled over whether they’d offer to replace the faulty goods free of charge. Some claimed they hadn’t even kept records of whether they’d used PIPs, let alone known they were faulty, despite alarm bells ringing as far back as 2010.
Patients were left terrified, with many claiming to be suffering the horrendous symptoms of poisoning, while doctors still can’t agree if there really is any health risk.
Shoddy surgery: Thousands of British women were given PIP implants which contained industrial-grade silicone and leaked
Ever-innovative clinics claimed women would opt for more ‘natural’ options, such as sucking fat out of the tummy or thighs, then injecting it into the bust. However, according to the BAAPS report, the most popular cosmetic procedure was still traditional breast augmentation, with numbers dipping by just 1.6 per cent to 9,854.
As BAAPS president Rajiv Grover says: ‘The desire for larger breasts is centuries-old. Scandals come and go – in this case, the cause was an isolated case of criminal manufacturing practices. This has made women anxious but breast augmentation remains a very safe operation.’
OLYMPIC LIFT
Men seem happier with what nature has given them, with an overall 4 per cent decline in numbers seeking surgery.
There was an 18 per cent drop in ‘moob jobs’ – where fat is removed from wobbly chests – although it remained the third most popular male procedure behind nose ops (rhinoplasty) and eye-lifts (blepharoplasty).
In fact, body-contouring surgery, including liposuction and tummy tucks, continues to fall out of favour. BAAPS say it could be due to an Olympic-inspired interest in getting fit as a way to a better body. However, an alternative explanation is the boom in non-surgical options for fat reduction – devices that emit either laser, heat or ultrasound waves – that genuinely work.
FACE VALUE
Under the knife: Facelifts increased by 13 per cent for women
Perhaps the biggest surprise was the resurgence of that grande dame of plastic surgery, the facelift. In total, 5,324 women had one last year, along with 306 men – a rise of 13 and 14 per cent respectively.
Forget Joan Rivers, Sharon Osbourne and those other brides of Franken-surgeon. The new idol is former Conservative MP and chick-lit author Louise Mensch, 41, with her ‘has-she-or-hasn’t-she?’ facelift.
Surgeons are no longer indiscriminately hoicking up the cheeks and reattaching them to the back of the head, a method that may or may not have been used on the brilliant Joan, 79.
These new operations use small incisions, minor lifts, just a few stitches . . . you’ll still look like you, only younger.
Another unexpected development is the 19 per cent year-on-year increase in men having brow-lifts, with 149 choosing the procedure.
In an economic downturn, making sure you look fresher, fitter and less redundant than the next chap can pay dividends.
GAME OF CHANCE
Of course, the BAAPS figures don’t give a complete picture. While BAAPS carries out stringent checks to ensure its members are highly qualified, they represent only 230 surgeons in Britain. Hundreds more operate at cowboy clinics, offering the cheapest deals.
Just last week, it transpired a number of these doctors were fly-in, fly-out foreign surgeons, who operate then leave the country. Many aren’t insured here, so are unaccountable should thing go wrong.
As the recession bites and the frown-lines deepen, will more women and men opt to chance it with these dodgy operators?
I’d like to think we are wiser than that. But the allure of a bargain is just as strong as the desire for perkier breasts or a more youthful face.
I’m sure these are sentiments we can all relate to, even if it doesn’t mean we’ll end up at the sharp end of a surgeon’s knife.
