UK plastic surgery statistics: breasts up, ears down

UK plastic surgery is on the increase, despite the recession. Find out which procedures are going up - and which are down
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Plastic surgery statistics in the UK show a record number of "man boob" reduction operations as the rise in demand outstrips that for all other procedures - including women's breast enlargement.

Figures published by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPs) - that really is its acronym - showed operations to correct gynecomastia in men grew by 27.5%, while overall male cosmetic surgery grew by 6.6%.

The association's audit reveals 581 male breast reduction operations were performed by members in 2009, up from 323 in 2008. Five years ago, just 22 gynecomastia operations were performed on men. The association represents one in three plastic surgeons, so the UK total is likely to be more than 1,000 operations.

The figures are only surgical procedures. They do not include non-surgical "lunchtime" plastic procedures, such as botox injections.

We're certainly not at US levels though. Overall, 38,274 procedures were done by association members for men and women in 2010, compared with 36,482 in 2009, a rise of 5%. Women accounted for 34,413. The key findings are:

Women

Women had 90% of all cosmetic procedures in 2010, the same percentage of total procedures as in 2009. The top ones were:

Breast augmentation - up 10.3% from last year after two years of small or no increases
Blepharoplasty (eyelids) were up 7% to
Face/Neck Lifts were up from fourth to third place with 4,493 procedures
Three procedures went down: Abdominoplasty (-7%); Liposuction (-3.8%); Otoplasty ear corrections (-23%)

Men

Men had 10% of all cosmetic procedures in 2010 (3,861). The big ops were:

Rhinoplasty or nose jobs, were up by 13.2%
Breast reductions were up 27.5%, from third to second place
Blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery): up 5.8% to 652
Only two procedures were down: Otoplasty (ear correction), -27%; and tummy tucks or Abdominoplasty (-20%)

We have the BAAPs data for you to download going back to 2008. Can you do anything with it?