Media coverage: 1 February 2005
Now 60 per cent believe plastic surgery will bring happiness
More than half of people in London believe plastic surgery can help achieve happiness. A study published today reveals that six out of 10 people believe cosmetic enhancements to face or body could improve their lives and almost one third would like to make 'dramatic changes to the way they look.' And more than half would like to make more subtle cosmetic alterations to their appearance.
Just 15 per cent of those questioned would not consider surgery. Researchers questioned more than 1,000 people nationwide aged between 18 and 65, for the survey. It was carried out for Lloyds TSB personal Lending, after it noticed an increase in requests for loans for people wanting to borrow for plastic surgery.
The report comes days after the Government announced a major new clampdown after an explosion in the popularity of cosmetic procedures such as Botox and chemical peels.
New regulations will mean that only qualified medical professionals can carry out the treatments. Spokesman Tony Gibbons said: 'Plastic surgery is becoming a standard request for getting a loan – up there with home improvements and buying a car.
' In the past we've logged loan requests for 'plastic surgery' under miscellaneous but due to the increase we're looking to set up a dedicated cosmetic surgery category. While there's a mixture of people requesting money for medical reasons and self-improvement, 'plastic surgery' is becoming less taboo and people aren't shy to admit that's what they want to spend their money on.'
The report also revealed that Jackie Stallone – recently seen on Celebrity Big Brother – was the famous person who had had the worst surgery.
Anne Robinson was voted to have had the best cosmetic work (32.6 per cent) while 29.3 per cent, when asked who they thought had had the best cosmetic procedure, named Liz Hurley.
The part of the body respondents would most like to change is stomachs (47 per cent), closely followed by chests and bottoms.
The study also revealed that more than one in 10 would like their partner to have cosmetic surgery.
Men were most likely to want their girlfriends to have liposuction on their stomachs or a tummy tuck, while women wanted their men to have their teeth fixed.
Experts believe that the growing enthusiasm for plastic surgery has been caused by the influence of perfect-looking celebrities who do not show normal signs of ageing, and by recent TV programmes such as Extreme Makeover and Cosmetic Surgery Live which they say have trivialised operations, played down the risks and given potential patients unrealistic ideas of the results.
Phillip Hodson, fellow of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, said: 'There is a case for plastic surgery which is all very well. 'but we have an old saying in our profession: 'You don't treat symptoms, you treat causes.' I'm afraid some people don't need a new nose, what they need is a new life.
'These people become obsessive and it is really part of a neurotic obsession which is saying I will be a success, perfect, desirable, but I just need on more thing done.' He also said there were many people who did not consider the risks involved in surgery. 'If you are tinkering with symptoms rather than causes you are going to focus your problems some where else,' he added.
Extract Source: Evening Standard, 1 February 2005