Breast implant surgery is the most common cosmetic procedure to be carried out on women in the UK. In 2011 just over 10,000 women had breast implant surgery.Cosmetic surgery is often carried out to change a person's appearance in order to achieve what they perceive to be a more desirable look.
However, in certain situations cosmetic surgery may be needed for functional reasons. For example, breast reduction is sometimes used to alleviate back or neck pain.
Cosmetic surgery is different to plastic surgery. Plastic surgery repairs damaged skin and tissue following injury or illness. It also provides reconstructive surgery after major injuries or cancer removal operations.
During cosmetic surgery, a number of different bodily features may be changed, including:
skin colour, skin texture, the structure or position of a body part, such as the nose
Cosmetic surgery facts
Over recent years, the number of people having cosmetic surgery has increased considerably. For example, in 2010 a total of 38,274 cosmetic procedures were carried out in the UK, compared with 10,700 in 2003.
During 2010, 90% of all cosmetic surgery procedures were carried out in women.