New statistics from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (www.baaps.org.uk) — which represents the vast majority of NHS-trained consultant plastic surgeons in private practice — reveal that the number of cosmetic operations last year increased by 17% on average since 2012. Furthermore, not one individual procedure decreased in popularity.

The number of total surgical procedures in 2013 rose above 50 000 and their order of popularity for men and women combined has remained entirely unchanged for the past 5 years.

‘Both the UK economy and the British public seem to be well on the way to regaining their shape with the most impressive rise in demand for cosmetic surgery we have seen since the onset of the recession in 2008,’ said Rajiv Grover, consultant plastic surgeon and President of the BAAPS.

‘Patient confidence and also consumer confidence has returned with Britons choosing to spend on procedures with proven track records such as liposuction which remains the gold standard for body contouring. The continued double digit rise of cosmetic surgery underlines the fact that whether it is breast augmentation or anti-ageing procedures like facelifting, the public are choosing tried and tested surgical methods rather than the magical-sounding quick fixes that fail to deliver promised results.’

Perhaps the most interesting figures from the BAAPS audit are:

  • 2013 saw a 41% rise in liposuction procedures
  • Breast augmentation saw an increase of 13%, despite the PIP scandal, and remains the top surgical procedure in the UK
  • Anti-ageing procedures also continued to prove popular among men and women, with eyelid surgery up by 14%, face and neck lifts up by 13%, fat transfer by 15%, and brows rose by an expressive 17%
  • Male surgery numbers rose by 16% overall but the proportion held steady from last year, with men still accounting for one in ten (9.5%) aesthetic plastic surgery procedures
  • Body contouring procedures showed the biggest increase among males, with liposuction up by 28% and gynaecomastia up by one quarter (24%).

‘The number of procedures undergone by both men and women has increased in impressive numbers; it is encouraging to see that despite – or perhaps because of – a turbulent period in the sector, patient confidence in selecting appropriately trained and qualified surgeons is growing rapidly,’ said Michael Cadier, consultant plastic surgeon and BAAPS President Elect.