Plastic surgery is common in the UK, with many popular procedures covering a range of aesthetic goals. Often an elective operation for aesthetic purposes, plastic surgery is also a medical procedure used as reconstructive treatment. Whether for birth abnormalities, areas impacted by tumour removal, skin grafts for burn injuries, or personal reasons, it can be life-changing for confidence.
With more of us considering it than ever before, what are the most common plastic surgeries performed in the UK?
Breast enlargement
This was the runaway winner in number of procedures carried out in 2018 on women, at almost double the second most popular procedure of breast reduction.
This treatment increases breast size via the insertion of an implant below the breast tissue to alter its shape. It can take around six months for final results to show and a compression bra should be worn for up to two months to help limit fluid retention.
Liposuction
Above all, cosmetic procedures performed by reputable surgeons are an effective way to boost your self-esteem. Liposuction often makes a noticeable transformation to your shape by removing fat deposits, and therefore has the potential to make a big difference long term.
This solution is usually targeted at the lower half of the body but can be performed in many areas. It causes minimal scarring, has a fairly speedy recovery time of around two months, and only requires one night’s stay in hospital.
Abdominoplasty
Also known as a tummy tuck, this procedure focuses on reducing fat in the abdomen and making muscles in the torso tighter to make it look flatter.
You may have this surgery for many reasons, including excess fat after pregnancy or weight loss.
However, you should have been at a steady weight for around a year before having this procedure. It’ll take three months to make a full recovery and you may have some scarring on the lower portion of your abdomen.
Rhinoplasty
This was the most popular procedure for men in the 2018 figures, but is a universally applicable surgery. Sometimes done to help people breathe better, but often done for purely aesthetic reasons, it’s a more complex operation. It usually involves realignment of all or part of the nose.
There shouldn’t be much scarring and results can often make a dramatic change to the appearance of the face.
