Plastic Surgery - A $1.2 Billion Industry in Great Brittan

The ever increasing number of British men and women electing to have cosmetic surgery to enhance their appearance has created a booming $1.2 billion industry in the UK. For non-surgical treatments, such as Botox and dermal filters, spending was estimated at $2 billion.

London sources reported that men are getting tummy tucks, breast reductions, nose jobs, and liposuction, while more women are getting boob jobs and face-lifts. Both are getting eyelid surgery and Botox treatments.

The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons reported that “32,453 elective plastic surgery procedures were carried out in 2007, 12.2 percent more than the previous year.”

In the United States, however, the red flag is up for non-surgical cosmetic treatments and the FDA is currently “reviewing safety data from clinical studies submitted by the manufacturers of Botox, Botox Cosmetic and Myobloc, as well as post-marketing adverse event reports and medical literature,” the agency said in a notice posted on its Web site. The FDA is not recommending that people stop using the treatment during its study.

If my grandmother was still alive, she would probably say something like “Why doesn’t somebody just open up a salon called ‘Omnia Vanitas’ and get it over with?”