The number of procedures performed and recorded by cosmetic surgeons has been declining for the last two years,1,2 however the annual audit conducted by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) indicates that the number of treatments carried out in 2018 has seen a small increase of 0.1% compared to 2017, in addition to the rise in non-surgical treatments.3
The statistics released indicate that 28,347 surgical procedures took place in 2018, a small uplift of 32 surgeries from the previous year.4 The most notable rise was in liposuction procedures, with a 12% increase in women having this procedure compared to 2017. Surgical browlifts saw the biggest decline, now at an all-time low, with just 383 procedures being performed in 2018 compared to 2,138 in 2013 when the treatment was at its peak.4
Consultant plastic surgeon and former BAAPS president, Mr Rajiv Grover, who compiles the statistics each year, says, “The 2018 BAAPS audit shows that demand for cosmetic surgery remains buoyant…
