NEWS RELEASE

May 2008

TODAY’S MEN ARE MORE VAIN THAN WOMEN

Vanity motivates 1 in 3 men to have a cosmetic procedure
Compared to 1 in 3 women who opt for surgery to boost confidence
Almost 50% of men would change nothing
Both men and women are most unhappy with their weight
South East are the region happiest with their bodies overall – 43.1% would change nothing
While Northern Ireland are the least happy – only 20.4% would change nothing
Findings from the UK’s biggest ever cosmetic surgery report revealed (conducted by GFK NOP on behalf of Transform)

Today the preliminary findings of the biggest independent cosmetic surgery report ever undertaken can reveal that despite popular belief, it’s Britain’s men that choose to go under the knife through vanity, compared to women who are motivated by low self-esteem. However, a massive 46% of men are so confident and self-assured with their appearance, that they would change nothing.

The in-depth poll of 2000 men and women nationwide, was undertaken by respected independent research agency GFK NOP on behalf of the UK’s leading cosmetic surgery provider, Transform Cosmetic Surgery Group, to gain insight into people’s attitudes towards their bodies, and attitudes to both surgical and non-surgical treatments.

The results show that 80 % of people surveyed agreed that cosmetic surgeries/ procedures are now more socially acceptable.

When asked what motivates you into having a cosmetic procedure, one third of men chose vanity, compared to one third of women who wanted to boost their confidence. However, more worryingly, 14% of men and women took the drastic measure because they ‘hated’ their appearance.

When it comes to what body parts they most want to change, a massive 73% of women and 44% of men confessed to being most unhappy with their weight and tummies. When probed further, 33% of men and 26% of women admitted that despite their dissatisfaction and lack of confidence, they had not tried dieting or exercise.            

Other findings revealed that both men and women (8%) are equally worried about losing their hair which could be a result of today’s fast-paced, stressful life or possibly the sudden surge of hair extensions, which can often result in balding.

The top 10 body parts Brits would like to change are as follows:

MEN
1. Nothing (46%)
2. Weight (26%)
3. Tummy (18%)
4. Hair (8%)
5. Legs (4%)
6. Arms (2%)
7. Complexion (2%)
8. Bottom (1%)
9. Thighs (1%)
10. Breasts (0%)

WOMEN
1. Tummy (37%)
2. Weight (36%)
3. Nothing (27%)
4. Thighs (16%)
5. Bottom (15%)
6. Breasts (12%)
7. Legs (9%)
8. Hair (8%)
9. Complexion (6%)
10. Arms (6%)

Regional breakdown of the results was also very interesting in terms of which region most hated a certain body area compared with other regions. The results revealed that respondents living in the Yorkshire and Humberside region hated their breasts more than any other region, whereas those in the West Midlands hate their thighs.

Respondents living in the North West hate their bottom, legs and nose more than any other region while in Northern Ireland weight, complexion and feet came out top.

*TABLE SHOWING THE REGION WHICH MOST HATES A CERTAIN BODY AREA COMPARED WITH OTHER REGIONS

AREA REGION
Breasts Yorkshire and Humberside
Bottom North West
Thighs West Midlands
Legs North West
Arms Northern Ireland
Neck East Anglia
Eyes East Anglia
Nose North West
Ears Wales
Hands West Midlands
Feet Northern Ireland
Complexion Northern Ireland
Abdomen/Tummy Scotland
Hair Scotland
Weight Northern Ireland

Says Shami Choudry from Transform: “When American TV drama, Nip/Tuck aired on British screens, the programme and it’s catchphrase ‘tell me what you don’t like about yourself’ caused a cosmetic surgery frenzy, however the findings from this research prove that most women opt for treatment to enhance their confidence, rather than simply their appearance. ”

And what does the future hold for one of the UK’s fastest growing industries? Transform, the UK’s most trusted cosmetic surgery provider predicts that body sculpture and weight management surgeries will see the biggest growth. The Group, which currently carry out over 800 cosmetic surgery procedures per month and has over 30 years of experience in the industry is positioning itself as the consumers first choice.