Harley Medical Group reports cosmetic surgery market defies credit crunch

The Harley Medical Group has announced that despite the credit crunch, the cosmetic surgery market is continuing to grow at a rate of 35% year on year as Brits continue to invest in themselves. In the City, Leeds and Cheshire demand is particularly high with the silhouette slimming abdomnoplasty (tummy tuck) seeing a 59% increase in popularity.

Figures released by the UK’s largest cosmetic surgery provider, The Harley Medical Group, reveal business is still booming. The growth has been seen throughout The Harley Medical Group’s 22 clinics across the UK, with its City based clinic being completely booked out and showing no sign of tightened purse strings within the country’s financial epicentre.

Liz Dale, Director at The Harley Medical Group, commented: "It’s interesting to see what people cut back on during a credit crunch. Research amongst our patients has shown that despite cutting back across all other areas including: holidaying in the UK this summer instead of travelling abroad; delaying moving house and non-essential purchases, people are not cutting back on the money they spend on themselves."

She continued, "We encourage all our patients to think long and hard about their surgery and so for many who are undertaking an abdomnoplasty, a breast enlargement or a bletharoplasty, this is something they’ve planned for, for years. For this reason, they’re unlikely to want to now put this off and instead they consider their procedure to be an investment."

Demand across all procedures has increased since 2007 with abdomnoplasty having the strongest rise of 59%. Surgeons at The Harley Medical Group have also spotted new trends amongst their patients of how they’re using surgery, particularly liposuction, to tackle specific problem areas:

- Bingo Wings – the area under the arms
- Bra Bulges – the fat deposits on the back along the bra line
- Thigh Boxing – occurs when the inner thighs rub together
- Knee Saddles – fatty deposits above the knees

One of The Harley Medical Group’s 32 surgeons and Physicians, Dr Fratti, commented: "Traditionally Liposuction was used mainly on the stomach and outer thigh area. Increasingly patients are requesting the procedure for other areas such as the under arms and above the knee which in part explains the increase in demand." Liposuction isn’t however suitable for the very overweight, instead it is intended for the removal of stubborn fat.

Findings from patient data and enquiries show no sign of demand slowing down and reveal significant increases in demand over the past 12 months:

Surgical procedure increases:
- Tummy tucks 59%
- Breast surgery 40%
- Bletharoplasty 24%
- Rhinoplasty 27%
- Liposuction 9%

Non surgical procedure increases:
- Botox 51%
- Dermal fillers 40%
- Laser hair removal 26%

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About The Harley Medical Group
The Harley Medical Group has been established for over 25 years and is one of the most highly-regarded Cosmetic Surgery Groups operating in the UK. In 2004, The Harley Medical Group’s Chairman Mel Braham, at the request of the Department of Health became a member of the department’s Steering Committee, set up to oversee the introduction of new regulations covering the entire Cosmetic Surgery sector. All of The Harley Medical Group’s clinics are registered with the Healthcare Commission.

To date, The Harley Medical Group has performed over 350,000 treatments and will open its 25th clinic this year.

The Harley Medical Group PR Contact:
Michelle Lowery
Rain Communications UK
2 Greycoat Place
Westminster
London
SW1P 1SB
020 7222 4345
www.harleymedical.co.uk