Britons appear to be tightening their belts in more ways than one: 2011 audit figures from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) revealed on Monday that the number of men undergoing tummy tucks (abdominoplasty) was 15% higher than in 2010.

However, although the percentage rise is large, the numbers are relatively small compared to women: while male tummy tucks rose from 108 to 124, female ones rose from 3,039 in 2010 to 3,251 in 2011 (a rise of 7%).

And the austere financial climate does not appear to have eroded Britons’ belief in cosmetic surgery in other areas either. Not one area of cosmetic surgery fell in popularity in the UK last year.

Across the board the number of procedures carried out by BAAPS members in 2011 was 43,069, which is 5.8% higher than in 2010, matching a similar rise as from 2009 to 2010.

Fazel Fatah is a consultant plastic surgeon and the current president of BAAPS. He told the media:

“It is understandable that procedures for the more noticeable areas of the face and body — such as breast augmentation, rhinoplasty (nose jobs) and eyelid surgery — continue to prove popular when patients are looking to get the most ‘impact’ from their surgery to enhance their mental well being and self-confidence.”

BAAPS President Elect Rajiv Grover is a consultant plastic surgeon and responsible for the UK national audit. He said:

“The continued popularity of aesthetic plastic surgery even through financially difficult times demonstrates that the public sees real value in the psychological and physical improvement that can be achieved.”

Here are some further highlights of the BAAPS 2011 audit:

  • Male surgery continues to account for 10% of all cosmetic surgery procedures.

  • Male cosmetic surgery procedures rose by 5.6% from 2010 to 2011: (from 4,017 procedures to 4,298).

  • There was a similar growth in cosmetic surgery procedures for women: they went up by 5.8% from 2010 to 2011 (from 34,413 procedures to 38,771).

  • Breast augmentation (“boob jobs”) continues to hold its number one place as the most common procedure of all (nearly twice as many of these as the next most popular), and holds its steady growth of 6.2% from 9,418 procedures in 2010 to 10,003 in 2011.

  • Gynaecomastia ops (“man boob” reduction) were the second most common procedure in men in 2011, as they were in 2010. However, they rose by 7% from 741 in 2010 to 790 in 2011.

  • Another area of male cosmetic surgery rose even more than this: male liposuction went up by 8% from 473 in 2010 to 511 in 2011.

Fatah said the sharp rise in tummy tucks and liposuction should come as no surprise, because more patients are having obesity treatments like gastric bands.

“These patients are usually left with a lot of loose skin that causes physical problems and unsightly body contour which can only be addressed by surgery,” said Fatah.

Grover said another reason for the continuing rise in popularity of cosmetic surgery could be because techniques have advanced, so it’s “harder to tell” if someone has had it: “they may just look well-rested, or refreshed”.

Speculating on other reasons for the rise in procedures carried out by BAAPs surgeons, Grover said, whether it is “because of the recent implant scare or a backlash against some ‘lunchtime’ non-surgical treatments that don’t deliver what they promise”, it was reassuring that more patients appear to be “doing their homework” and going on more than just price, to select their cosmetic surgeon.

Click here for more figures from the BAAPS annual audit.

Written by Catharine Paddock PhD