The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) has published data from its annual audit of 237 surgeons revealing that cosmetic surgery is in decline in the UK.
According to the association, 26,840 cosmetic procedures were performed in 2025, representing a 2% drop from the previous year. The audit also indicated that women are increasingly opting for more subtle facial procedures rather than body enhancements. While breast augmentation remains the UK’s most popular procedure, overall demand is falling sharply, down 8% year on year, according to BAAPS.
At the same time, BAAPS reports that breast implant removals are rising, while procedures designed to refresh the face, including facelifts and eyelid surgery, are becoming increasingly popular. Other procedures reported to be rising in popularity include blepharoplasty, up 8%, face and neck lifts, up 11% and labiaplasty, up 6%. In contrast, fat transfers, rhinoplasties, liposuction and abdominoplasty were all reported to be in decline.
BAAPS highlights that one of the fastest-rising procedures is the brow lift, which has surged by 27% overall, suggesting that the once-fashionable exaggerated hourglass silhouette may be losing its appeal, according to the association.
The audit also revealed the gender split for cosmetic surgery. The audit demonstrated that women still accounted for 93.9% of all procedures, with 25,217 operations performed in 2025, a 2% fall from the previous year. Conversely, cosmetic surgery among men fell by 10% overall, with 1,623 procedures carried out in 2025, representing 6.1% of all operations. However, BAPPS shares that the types of procedures men are choosing are shifting, with facial surgery now dominating. For the first time, eyelid surgery became the most popular procedure for men, overtaking rhinoplasty, the association reports.