London - More men are swapping the gym for the clinic, with male “tummy tucks” the fastest-growing cosmetic surgery procedure in Britain, figures show.
Men asked for 4,298 procedures last year, with a 15 percent increase in abdominoplasty - compared to a 7 percent increase for women - according to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS). Nose jobs were the most popular treatments for men, with 1,043 carried out - a 5 percent rise. The number of male breast reductions rose 7 percent. The total number of people having cosmetic surgery rose by 6 percent between 2010 and 2011, the figures showed.
Billy Brandham, 21, from Luton, had his breasts reduced recently, paying part of the £2,000 fee from his student loan. “For nearly a year I had played football and worked relentlessly on an American body-sculpting programme,” he said. “It started to get really embarrassing. I wasn't able to wear a T-shirt without people noticing. People haven't noticed the changes much.
“I think it was just something I had to do to feel better.”
Cheaper treatments, availability and the breaking of a taboo are among the reasons cited for the rise in cosmetic surgery among men. “Ten years ago, you may not have seen David Beckham advertising Armani underwear, but those sort of images are commonplace now,” said Rajiv Grover, president-elect of BAAPS. “Wayne Rooney had a hair transplant and Boris Becker a facelift.”
The recession has not hampered the appetite for a nip or tuck, with 43,069 operations completed last year - almost 6 percent more than in 2010. Most customers - 38,771 - were women and breast enlargements were most popular.
CASE STUDY:TONY LEWKOWICZ
After losing 8st (50kg) in 30 months, the Doncaster council worker had excess midriff skin that the NHS refused to remove. Mr Lenkowicz, 27, went to David Lam, a Sheffield surgeon, for a £5,000 tummy tuck operation.
“He showed me pictures of men who had had the treatment,” he says. “Until I saw those, I thought plastic surgery was just for women. Over two days I had 5kg of skin removed. Now I feel confident and happier. I can finally buy the clothes I want.
“I have a scar across my stomach to near my chest, but it was worth it.” - The Independent