America used to be the home of cosmetic surgery but it seems demand in the UK is set to outstrip the US, according to a survey by the doctor booking website, RealSelf.
A survey of more than 1000 UK residents aged over 18 years of age showed that 76% of UK residents wanted to change something about their face or body compared to 80% in the US, but here, more people are considering taking action. The survey showed 40% on Brits are considering a surgical or nonsurgical cosmetic treatment in the next 12 months while 37% of American’s are thinking of booking in.
Some 37% of UK respondents said they were considering a nonsurgical treatment while 22% were considering going under the knife, reflecting the trend toward quicker procedures with less downtime and cost.
Driving demand are the millennials with 62% of 18-34 year olds thinking about having a non-surgical treatment within the next 12 months compared to 28% of the 35+ age group. Close to half of millennials (44%) were also considering a surgical treatment as opposed to 14% of the over 35’s.
The result may surprise, as according to the poll done by Harris Poll for RealSelf, it’s not Botox and fillers but cosmetic dentistry and laser hair removal. Some 43% of UK respondents wanted to improve their teeth with whitening, veneers and Invisalign, in comparison to the recognised home of the pearly whites, the US, where just 36% were interested in procedures for teeth. This may in part show the UK is catching up with the US where the interest in teeth may have already peaked says Dr John Seldon, who is said to be the best dentist in Charlotte, North Carolina.
When it comes to surgery, UK residents showed greater interest in facelifts (28%) than their American counterparts at 16%. American adults, however, were twice as likely to be considering nonsurgical fat reduction treatments compared to UK adults (29% vs 14%).
In both countries 43% of respondents to the online poll said their motivation was to improve their self-esteem and confidence. Other reasons for wanting treatments were:
| UK | US | |
|---|---|---|
| Improve self-esteem/confidence | 43% | 43% |
| To look as good as I feel | 35% | 34% |
| Help with weight loss/fat removal | 26% | 32% |
| Combat aging | 22% | 20% |
| To look younger | 22% | 23% |
| Convenience and to save time/effort | 15% | 13% |
| Get my body back after having children | 11% | 11% |
A big event such as a milestone birthday or wedding were also sited as reasons for wanting procedures as well as divorce or starting a new job or relationship.
A fear of ending up with a bad result, concerns about the long terms effects, finding the right practitioner and money to pay for procedures were among the top reasons holding people back from booking in.
In both countries, women are significantly more likely than men to want to change their body in some way. In the UK more than 4 in 5 women (83 percent) want to change at least one area compared to 69 percent of UK men. In the US, 85 percent of women and 74 percent of men want to change their body in some way.
Top 5 Nonsurgical Surgical
1. Cosmetic dentistry (43%) Tummy Tuck (31%)
(eg. Invisalign, whitening, veneers)
2. Facelift (28%) Laser hair removal (29%)
3. Liposuction (28%) . Facial skin treatments (28%) (eg. dermaplaning,
microneedling)
4. Chin or Neck lift (23%) . Facial or Lip Fillers (24%)
5. Breast augmentation (21%) Botox or Toxins (18%)
– Just over 3 in 4 U.K. adults (76%) want to change at least one part of their body
– U.K. millennials are nearly three times more likely to have had a cosmetic procedure in the
past than adults 35+ (40% vs 14%)
– More U.K. adults are considering nonsurgical cosmetic treatments than surgical treatments;
interest in both is significantly higher among millennials
– Fear of complications or a bad result is the top concern among those who would ever consider a
cosmetic treatment
To view the complete report please visit www.realself.com/press.
