Cosmetic treatments up, as the recession bites

and in 2009 took out loans worth nearly £5m to pay for operations. In the last 12 months, there were 38,274 cosmetic procedures – up from 36,482 the year before. The increase is sharpest among men, with 7% more males seeking treatment compared to 5% more women. Britons spend about £2.3bn a year on cosmetic treatments, including Botox, chemical peels and laser treatments that smooth out wrinkles. Demand has risen 17% in the past two years and in 2009 Britons took out loans worth nearly £5m to pay for operations, with women aged over 45 the fastest growing group – up 10% in two years. This data is collated by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS). Men, who accounted for 10% of all cosmetic procedures in 2010, sought to reduce their décolleté in record numbers last year: the gynaecomastia operation to reduce the dreaded man-boob or moob, rose by a record 28% from 581 to 741. Facelifts are now second only in popularity among men to nose jobs (rhinoplasty) which at 993 is up 13.2%. The global medical beauty market made £3.2bn last year – the same as 2008, a record. The breast implants market alone was worth £580m and is expected to grow at 7% a year until 2014."