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According to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), the number of men undergoing plastic surgical procedures has risen substantially in 2009. The increase is an amazing 21% in overall procedures performed on men. Cosmetic surgery is quickly becoming a men’s trend too.

The BAAPS reported that the increase in male procedures was most profoundly shown in the breast reduction (gynaecomastia). These procedures rose an astounding 80% between 2008, with 581 procedures. It is the third most popular procedure in men behind nose-jobs (rhinoplasty) and eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty).

Many men have excess fat cells across there chest that they wish to have removed. Some even suffer from gynecomastia, the development of abnormally large mammary glands resulting in enlarged breasts. Men have tried in vain to get rid this excess fat through work outs, and diet plans.  Out of options, men have turned to plastic surgery to rid them of the embarrassing flab on their chests.

Many new advancements in technology have improved many of the procedures for plastic surgery. In fact, a new procedure is now available for breast reduction which utilizes radiofrequency assisted technology. This technology allows for a much less invasive procedure to remove the fat cells while at the same time tightening the loose skin. This replaces the painful pushing and pulling of liposuction and is drawing more and more patients.

The media has also made an impact on the plastic surgery scene. Mr. Rajiv Grover, consultant plastic surgeon and BAAPS Secretary said, “This year we have recorded a dramatic rise in a number of male surgical procedures, probably due to heightened media attention, which has allowed men to realize the positive outcomes that can be achieved.”

The negative opinion that society once had toward plastic surgery no longer exists. People are much less judgmental of others who have undergone such a procedure and thus everyone is more apt to talk about the results of their procedure. With the plethora of positive testimonials available men are more inclined to consider a procedure to give them the body that they desire.

Over the past ten years plastic surgery has shed the shackles of negative opinion and emerged as a popular way to get the desirable body. Cosmetic surgery is no longer restricted to the rich and famous. Now they are common place throughout the masses around the world.

The UK is not exempt from this craze. In fact, according to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) , the overall number of plastic surgical procedures rose from 34,187 in 2008 to 36,482 in 2009. The public interest in cosmetic procedures is continuously growing in the UK, whereas the popularity is actually lessening in the US. There was a twelve percent decrease in cosmetic surgeries in the US from 2008-2009.

The number of women who underwent cosmetic procedures in 2009 was 32,859. Which is an increase of 5.4% over 2008. The highest change in procedures was breast reduction with in increase of 17%. As Cosmetic surgery becomes more mainstream, women are more confident in the procedures and thus are more willing to undergo plastic surgery.

There has also been a substantial rise in the number of men undergoing cosmetic surgery. The BAAPS reported that 3,623 men had plastic surgery in 2009, 21% more than in 2008. The area that increased the most for men was also breast reduction with an astounding increase of 80%. Increased media attention to plastic surgery is surely one of the reasons that more men have decided to undergo procedures. With more men seeing the positive outcomes of cosmetic surgery, the number of procedures will surely continue to rise.

Plastic surgery procedures have been improving over the years. New technology allows some procedures to be done with much less pain and the surgeries are becoming progressively faster. These technological advances have made plastic surgery less invasive and most of the recovery time is spent at home, instead of in the hospital. As these improvements are witnessed by more and more people the increase in the popularity of plastic surgery in the UK will persist.

The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (AACS) released a survey whose results showed that more than seventy percent of the people surveyed believe that society is less judgmental about cosmetic procedures. A breathtaking majority of these US citizens believe that plastic surgery is more accepted than it was five years ago.

Society has quickly become less judgmental about people who have undergone procedures. People who had plastic surgery were at one time considered to be vain and self-absorbed. People believed that plastic surgery was the easy way out and that a person could not truly appreciate their new beauty if they did not work to get it. As these surgeries become more commonplace people have discarded these short-sighted and judgmental views.

Some of the judgment by society was merely due to the fact that only the rich and famous were undergoing plastic surgery. This made people feel like it was just another way for the famous to get their pictures taken. Cosmetic surgery is not as expensive today and many people have more money to spend. These procedures are no longer just for the rich. When a person knows someone close to them that has undergone such a procedure they become less judgmental and more curious.

As these procedures move toward becoming mainstream, society has more information about plastic surgery. When a person sees the abounding positive information concerning cosmetic procedures it is difficult for them to maintain a critical opinion of them. One fifth of the participants in the AACS survey said that the shift in societies opinion toward plastic surgery has encouraged them to consider undergoing a procedure themselves.

The results of the study found that the three most accepted invasive procedures were breast augmentation, face lifts and tummy tucks. Of non-invasive procedures laser hair removal and Botox were the most accepted procedures. Around twenty percent of the participants said that they would consider having a procedure done and people under forty were twice as likely to consider it.

Most people who consider having a cosmetic procedure contemplate many reasons to do so. One of the considerations at the top of their list is how the results of the plastic surgery will make them feel. When people feel that they look good they carry themselves differently. They stand straighter and exude a sense of confidence and happiness that is genuine.

This confidence is overflowing from Gillian Lyttle because plastic surgery has given her a happiness that she never thought she would ever achieve. She had been overweight for four years and weighed more than sixteen stone. She told the Belfast Telegraph that she had joined a diet club and had successfully lost five stones and four pounds. This loss of fat left a lot of loose skin and stretch marks so, though she was thrilled with being thinner, she still did not have the body that she desired.

To acquire the body that she dreamed of she had to turn to plastic surgery. She underwent a tummy tuck and a breast lift and has seen an increase in her happiness that knows no bounds. Being able to wear a bikini for the first time was an experience that she will never forget. The surge in her confidence level has made her life much easier and enjoyable. While she had been overweight she refused to date because she was afraid that anyone who asked her out was only trying to wind her up. She now has a boyfriend whom she met at work and is content.

Plastic surgery can have a drastic effect on a person’s life. Having a body which makes a person proud allows their confidence to grow substantially. Many people do not realize how much of a difference a higher self-esteem can have on a person’s life. Gillian feels better about herself and thus a strong confident aura surrounds her that can be felt by the people that she encounters throughout her day.

Seventy-three percent of the females surveyed by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons said that they believe that looking younger will help a woman to be more successful. Though many powerful women believe that their positions are safe, in many fields keeping a young appearance is nearly as important as that power.

Eileen Bradbury is a consultant psychologist and told the Guardian that nearly every person that has been referred to her, says that their greatest motivator in seeking plastic surgery is getting older. Cosmetic procedures can leave an older woman looking much younger and feeling more confident. Some of these women get a face lift or lip lifts. Others get brow lifts or eyelid surgery. Wrinkles can be removed,
loose skin tightened, and sagging features lifted.

The Guardian reported that Miriam O’Rielly and her three colleagues were removed form their rural affairs broadcast on the BBC. The show was moved to a peak-time slot and the producers decided to remove the older women from the show to replace them. These four women are indeed not the only ones who have been shoved out of their positions to be replaced by younger looking women. In order to compete in the
work place women must look younger.

Looking throughout the rest of society it is very clear that older looking women are nearly non-existent in the media. News broadcasters are expected to be young and attractive. Billboard models are almost never older women. Even women in important positions in large companies are expected to look good. Many women as young as 40 years old seek out cosmetic surgery to keep their youthful looks and stay competitive in the career field.

Older women who have turned to plastic surgery to adopt a younger look are impressed with the results. They find that they receive more attention at work and have an edge in the competition for positions. They have all the experience that age accumulates without all the wrinkles.

A new study done by popcorn makers, Butterkist, found that most men find that the attractiveness of a woman is directly proportional to how good her body looks. It would than stand to reason that a woman could become more attractive to a man through plastics surgery.

Butterkist’s study included 4,000 adults who rated what they found attractive in the opposite sex. A spokesperson for the study said that the purpose of the study was to determine what made a man irresistible to a woman and vice versa. At the top of the women’s list were nice smiles and a sense of humor. Men however rated sense of humor third, with a great body as their number one choice.

With the amount of emphasis that men put on a woman’s appearance it might indeed be accurate to say that plastic surgery can make a woman irresistible to the opposite sex. Cosmetic procedures are now available to change most any part of the body. If she thinks her nose is too big it can be made smaller. If her love handles are too big they can be removed. Chunky thighs can be made sleek and scrawny butts can be made plumper. Breast augmentation is still the most popular plastic surgery and it seems that there is a good reason for that, since men rated cleavage as their number two most attractive thing about a woman.

When a woman feels confident with the way her body looks she then projects this confidence, when in the presence of the opposite sex. Men will notice the contours of a sleek body that has curves in the right places. Most women do not feel that they have been naturally blessed with these features, so they turn to plastic surgery. The cosmetic procedures available today can create such a natural look that most men would be unable to tell that such work was done.

The study showed that women place much less importance to a man’s body as too his personality. This fact has not however kept men from putting more emphasis on their appearance. The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons reported that last year the number of men undergoing cosmetic procedures in UK rose twenty-one percent.

Ashley Alongi has stated that she feels like a totally new person after having a breast augmentation. This might not sound too surprising since many people claim to feel fresh and new after cosmetic surgery, however this woman has a special story to go along with her statement.

Ashley was born with no breast tissue and went through life embarrassed by this fact. She spent much of her life trying to hide from everyone. She was disconcerted with her lack of breasts and never felt confident enough to pursue a relationship. Most women who undergo a breast augmentation want to increase the cup size of their existing breasts. Ashley wanted to increase the size of her non-existent breasts.

She told the Scottish Daily Record that she had always been hiding from her friends, family, and colleagues. She couldn’t go bra shopping with her friends because she couldn’t wear one. She wore baggy jumpers at school to hide the lack of breasts, because she feared being ridiculed and bullied. Her growing up experience was far from nice and would better be described as traumatic.

After finding that estrogen pills did not help her, she knew surgery was the only option she had. She had been told that she could get the operation on the NHS but upon seeing the waiting list of eight years, she decided to save her money waitressing and pay for a cosmetic procedure herself. At the age of 25 she was
finally able to save up enough money to climb out of the pall created by her less than 32AA breasts.

Her new 34DD boobs have been a huge blessing. She has more confidence than she had ever imagined possible. She loves to go underwear shopping and relishes wearing form fitting shirts. She is finally on the lookout for a relationship. She said to the Scottish Daily Record, “I am ready for love because at long last I love myself.” Her family has also called her ‘a new person’ since her surgery.

All year people watch their figures, by eating healthy, and exercising. Then the Christmas season comes along and they do a little bingeing. It’s hard to resist grandma’s Christmas cookies or that special pumpkin pie that mom brings over. This seasonal overeating is enough to send people rushing to the surgeons office for a tummy tuck.

Mark Norfolk is the Clinical Services Director of the Transform Cosmetic Group, in Wakefield, United Kingdom. Due to this position he is uniquely able to give opinions about motives for plastic surgery as well as current trends. On average people gain about six pounds over the Christmas season, but experts say that this year the average weight gain has nearly doubled. Mark told the Sun, “We always see a rush for
weight loss surgery at Christmas, but this year’s been exceptional.” He reported that many women blame the recession for their weight gain. He said, “They’ve let go over Christmas, bingeing on food and booze and are feeling the consequences.”

The number of appointments for invasive weight loss plastic surgery procedures has risen 57 percent compared to last year. These procedures include abdominoplasty (tummy tucks) which involves a manual tightening of the abdominal muscles and removal of excess skin. This procedure slims and contours the abdomen for a very appealing look. Another procedure that is in high demand, to handle the Christmas binge flab, is liposuction. Liposuction is a process where fat cells are actually pulled out of problem areas.

Gastric bands, bariatric surgeries, are also popular as weight loss surgeries. These bands are clamped on the stomach to reduce the amount of food that a person is able to consume. These surgeries allow for a large amount of weight loss and thus are meant for people who are clinically obese. After losing substantial weight with this surgery, many people opt to have additional procedures to finish the sculpting of their body.

Plastic surgery has increased in popularity each year and 2010 will not be an exception. The extensive media coverage of cosmetic procedures has brought knowledge of their benefits to a wider range of people in society. As the procedures become more mainstream and more surgeons are available, the price of the procedures gradually becomes less. Even the recession has not been able to stop the growth of the plastic surgery market. In fact Patrick Mallucci, a member of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, told the Guardian, “What has been surprising for me is that it is very busy during a time of supposed recession.”

When the new year comes around people begin to set goals for the next segment of their lives. Some decide to quit smoking cigarettes or stop eating so many snacks. Others get a new membership to the gym or buy exercise equipment. But now a new trend has arisen for these New Year’s resolutions: plastic surgery.

Dr. Richard Chaffoo, a triple board-certified plastic surgeon, indicated that people are seeking a fresh new look in the new year. In a press release he says that “Most New Year’s resolutions boil down to one simple desire: to look and feel more like the person you want to be.” Many people may have met their goals of weight loss for the previous year but when they look in the mirror they don’t see the thin fit body that they were looking for. They have exhausted their repertoire and are looking something to shape their body into the shape that they want.

The most popular procedures throughout the whole year are breast reduction and liposuction. New Year’s is no exception. An increase in the volume of breast enhancement and liposuction procedures is always seen at the beginning of the year. These procedures enhance the contours of the body and give the desired look that many people are looking for. Body contouring is exactly what a person is looking for when they have lost a significant amount of weight.

Most people do not realize how important the facial procedures are to a person’s self-esteem. When someone wants to look and feel great the range of facial plastic surgeries available can do just that. When loosing weight the face begins to thin out and become more angular, which is good. But the loss of fat cells in the face usually uncovers problem areas in the face that were not noticeable before, such as crow’s feet and gauntness in the cheeks. These features can easily be fixed with a face lift or eyelid surgery.

As each New Year approaches, the popularity of surgical procedures will increase, as people continue to search for that elusive feeling of well-being. Dr. Chaffoo says, “I see cosmetic surgery as a way to help people live to their full potential….simpler pleasures really are taking center stage and encouraging people
to take a fresh look at themselves.” Looking and feeling great is a very important aspect in a persons life and plastic surgery can make it a reality.