Enquiries into Botox and Non Surgical Treatments Rise by 55%

1. With Kylie Jenner confirming temporary fillers as the reason for her noticeably fuller pout, non-surgical cosmetic treatments have featured heavily on the celebrity news agenda in recent months. New data from private healthcare search engine WhatClinic.com reveals what’s hot and what’s not in its mid-year round up of medical aesthetics trends, showing the most popular and fastest growing non-surgical cosmetic procedures of the last six months.

Enquiries into Botox and Non Surgical Treatments Rise by 55%

In the time, enquiries into non-surgical cosmetic treatments have risen by 55%. When looking at the most popular non-surgical cosmetic procedures in terms of demand, WhatClinic.com’s report shows that dermal fillers remain top of the list, with the highest number of enquiries across all treatments in 2014, and so far in 2015. Dermal fillers are injections used to fill out wrinkles and creases in the skin, and are administered with a series of small injections and gently massaged into the area.

Dermal fillers can also be used to increase the volume and definition around the lips, and is one of the most commonly used methods of lip augmentation. Earlier this year Kylie Jenner admitted to having her own pout enhanced – and fuller lips have certainly been high on the wish list of others, with lip augmentation being the third most popular treatment of the past six months, the same spot it occupied in 2014. 

The second most popular procedure over the past six months, in terms of volume of enquiries, is mole removal, which was also the second most popular treatment of 2014, and typically costs £216. The exact technique used for removing the mole depends on factors such as its condition, size and location, but most moles are removed with a scalpel and the wound closed with stitches. Alternatively, some are frozen off with liquid nitrogen gas or destroyed with a precision high-energy laser.

When looking at emerging trends, thread lifts – hailed as the non-surgical alternative to a facelift – are the fastest growing treatment of 2015, with enquiries up 240%*. This follows a massive surge in popularity for the treatment last year, when enquiries skyrocketed by 1165% – comparing total enquiries in 2013 with 2014 – the biggest increase in demand of any non-surgical procedure for UK patients in that period.

Thread lifts are used for rejuvenating skin tone and improving the structure of the face in a similar way to a surgical facelift, but without the need for surgery. The procedure involves soluble polydioxanone thread being inserted through the skin with a fine needle to tighten and firm the skin while smoothing wrinkles, and will typically cost £678 per treatment. Non-surgical facelifts are clearly on the rise, with Silhoutte Lift™ – a variant of thread lift treatment, which uses barbed sutures to lift and hold the skin – also seeing a 134% increase in enquires in the past six months.

Injection treatment Macrolane™ tops the list as the second fastest growing non-surgical treatment, seeing a 139% increase in enquiries in just the past six months. Macrolane™ is used to enhance body contours, and is commonly used as a non-surgical treatment for buttock augmentation. The procedure only takes between 30-90 minutes, but carries a hefty price tag of on average £1,546.

By contrast, demand for surgical buttock augmentation procedures have bottomed out in the past six months. Buttock implants were one of the most popular procedures during 2014 – the year of Kim Kardashian-West’s infamous ‘belfie’ photo, with enquiry levels up a staggering 182% – but the past six months have seen enquiries rising by only 15%.

The following table shows the ten treatments that have seen the highest volume of enquiries from UK patients over the past six months:

The following table shows a list of popular procedures that have seen the biggest increase in demand in the past six months:

Emily Ross, director of WhatClinic.com, comments: “While the UK’s appetite for surgical procedures has by no means waned, there is also been a significant boost in non-surgical alternatives, with new and exciting treatments to the market reflected in the boost in demand that we have seen for medical aesthetics across the board.

“These treatments do not require going under the knife but non-surgical interventions, such as fillers, do carry risks which are often not appreciated. Fillers around the eye area, for example, require advanced skill as retinal artery occlusion, when filler blocks blood flow, can cause tissue death and blindness. When injected incorrectly, even temporary fillers can turn your skin blue – known as the ‘Tyndall’ effect.

“It’s therefore imperative to research your practitioner to ensure they are not only experienced and qualified, but have adequate insurance to cover you should something go wrong. Make sure you are fully informed of all the risks before you make your final decision, and don’t be swayed by special offers or time-sensitive pricing.

“A sensible question to ask your practitioner is how many patients they have performed this particular treatment on, and how many they do per week, as ideally you want them to be well-rehearsed in carrying out the procedure. Make sure you have realistic expectations of the results and read patient reviews on sites to get independent opinions.”

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