British go under the knife willingly

An increasing number of British women and men are undergoing cosmetic surgery to improve their looks at a cost of more than $1 billion last year alone.

Figures published Monday stated that more men are receiving "tummy tucks" to reduce their waistlines and having breast reductions to get rid of "man boobs," The Times of London reported.

The number of British women undergoing face-lifts reached a record 4,238 in 2007, an increase of 37 percent over the previous year, data supplied by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons showed.

Overall, the association reported that 32,453 elective plastic surgery procedures were carried out in 2007, 12.2 percent more than the previous year.

At the top of the list for women was breast enlargement followed by eyelid surgery. For men, nose jobs were first followed by liposuction and eyelid surgery.

Analysts said Britons spent more than $1.2 billion on cosmetic surgery last year while non-surgical spending on treatments such as Botox and dermal fillers was projected to top $2 billion this year.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International