| In 2007, the cosmetic surgery market was worth | | | | Smartlipo, as it uses a laser to remove fat and is less |
| over £900m, which is twice the £430m it was | | | | invasive than traditional liposuction. Often nicknamed |
| worth in 2005. Needless to say, this looks set to | | | | ‘lunchtime lipo’, Smartlipo is performed |
| grow as non-invasive cosmetic surgery procedures | | | | in a clinic with just a local anaesthetic, which gives |
| continue to gain popularity. In fact, experts believe | | | | patients a short recovery time. |
| that Britain will spend around £1bn on beauty | | | | Market analysts Mintel believe that the growing |
| treatments in 2008. | | | | popularity of cosmetic surgery and treatments could |
| Over 1,600 cosmetic procedures were carried out | | | | be attributed to airbrushed images of celebrities and |
| every day in 2007, which amounted to a massive | | | | models in magazines, which make many people feel |
| 577,000 treatments overall. While breast and face | | | | inadequate. However, Alexandra Richmond, |
| surgery were the top treatments, body shaping | | | | Mintel’s senior cosmetics analyst, also |
| procedures were also very popular. In the last few | | | | attributed the growth of this sector to our |
| years, the growth of fat removal and body shaping | | | | “love of all things anti-ageing.” |
| procedures has been rapid. Figures released by the | | | | Mintel analysts found that 44% of those surveyed |
| British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons | | | | would consider cosmetic surgery or treatments. One |
| showed that the number of liposuction operations | | | | in ten of this percentage said that their decision had |
| rose by 90% in 2006 and it’s suggested that | | | | been influenced by reading about cosmetic |
| this figure grew even larger in 2007 due to pioneering | | | | procedures in magazines or by watching makeover |
| new fat removal techniques, including Smartlipo | | | | shows, such as Channel 4’s Ten Years |
| . | | | | Younger. |
| Celebrities such as Jade Goody have embraced | | | | |