Celebrities and TV fuel cosmetic surgery rise
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-07-13 14:48
Celebrity obsession and television makeover shows are fuelling a rise in
cosmetic surgery in Britain, researchers said today.
Bigger breasts,
wrinkle-free skin and face-lifts are top of people's wish lists, according to a
report by market research firm Mintel.
Nearly 700,000 procedures will be
carried out this year, a rise of 40 per cent on 2005, driven in part by changing
public attitudes towards cosmetic surgery, the report said.
"Acceptance
of cosmetic surgery is growing," said Mintel analyst Jenny Catlin. "Television
coverage and the popularity of procedures amongst celebrities (have) invariably
played a key role."
Easier access to treatment has eroded the "mystique
factor" to the point where a quarter of women and one in 10 men would consider
going under the knife, she added.
The market will be worth ?59 million
pounds in 2007, more than the amount Britain spends on tea, according to the
report.
The most popular treatments last year were Botox injections to
iron out wrinkles and chemical peels which take off the top layer of skin to try
to give a smoother look.
The number of breast enlargement operations will
reach an estimated 26,000 this year from 10,000 in 2003.
But despite the
growth in popularity, nearly a third of Britons still oppose cosmetic surgery on
principle, Mintel said.
More than a third said the price of surgery put
them off, while a quarter said they feared something could go
wrong.
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