WALES Is Becoming A Plastic Nation

More people than ever before are opting for cosmetic surgery - and men are leading the charge, with the amount going under the knife almost doubling in 2005. An audit by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (Baaps) today reveals the extent of the trend as thousands take extreme measures to try to achieve the body beautiful. Plastic surgeons said the increases showed that there was a growing acceptance of cosmetic surgery to help people defy the ageing process and feel better about their appearance.

And the audit shows that ageing men are now relying on more than sports cars and hair dye to try and regain their youthful appeal. Men now account for more than 11% of the total aesthetic surgical procedures carried out in the UK.

The majority of procedures (89%) were still carried out on women, with 19,601 carried out in 2005 compared with 15,019 in 2004. But 2,440 males also had cosmetic operations last year, which included breast reduction, nose jobs, ear corrections and hair implants - compared with just 1,348 in 2004.

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