Fat Freezing is the hottest British treatment trend of 2016, says WhatClinic.com

Lip augmentation, brought to the limelight by celebs such as Kylie Jenner and Charlotte Crosby, tops the list as the most popular cosmetic treatment of 2016, but cryolipolysis or ‘fat freezing’ is the fastest growing beauty trend in the UK, with an increase of 130% in enquiries. Non-surgical facelifts will be the top treatment for 2017, with a 91% increase in enquiries for the procedure in the past three months alone. That’s according to WhatClinic.com, and the insights are based on over 584,000 visits to its medical aesthetics pages during 2016, with over 63,525 online enquiries sent by UK patients to clinics on the site.

At number two on the list of the top ten most popular treatments are dermal fillers, with enquiries up 24% from 2015, and a price tag of £263, on average. Fillers saw increases across the board, with non-surgical nose jobs (fillers placed in strategically on the nose to disguise lumps) at number three, up 25% and with an average price of £343 in the UK. Platelet Rich Plasma Filler (PRP), the ‘vampire facelift’, saw the biggest jump in 2016, with enquires up 56%.

 “Fillers are definitely on the rise,” says Dr Susanna Hayter, Medical Director of My Beauty Doctor in Marlow, “Probably because the cost of having them done hasn't risen as much as inflation and so they have become a more affordable treatment, are lasting longer and therefore give good value for money.”

At number one on the list of fastest growing treatments, cryolipolysis is a procedure commonly referred to as ‘fat freezing’ that is a minimally invasive alternative to liposuction. ‘Zeltiq CoolSculpting™’, a particular type of cryolipolysis, is the second fastest growing treatment with enquiries up 75% in the past 12 months. The procedure costs on average £613 and is designed to freeze stubborn pockets of fat so that they can be naturally flushed away from the body. “Coolsculpting in the right person is a miracle treatment, a true alternative to surgery and scientifically it stacks up,” says Dr Hayter. “The treatment is particularly successful in very active people who are finding it difficult to get rid of stubborn fat pockets with exercise.”

Macrolane™ is another treatment which saw a huge increase in popularity in 2016. Enquiries into the treatment, which involves using an injectable gel to reshape the calves or buttocks, increased by almost a third (29%) in 2016, but will set patients back £1,749, on average.

Trends to look out for in 2017

Non-surgical facelifts are set to be the top trend of 2017. The procedure saw a 19% increase in enquiries over the course of 2016, and an incredible 91% in the last three months of 2016 alone, which indicates that it will be a growing trend in 2017. Non-surgical facelifts include everything from thread lift to chemical peels, fillers and ‘energy transfer’ procedures. The trend is part of a wider industry desire for a more natural look. According to Dr Hayter, “People are starting earlier, while they’re still happy with their looks, and opt to minimise their wrinkles with fillers and anti-wrinkle injections. The aesthetic doctors who are good at treatments are simply reversing the clock, not making people look completely different, and this appeals to nearly everyone.”

Commenting on the data trends, Philip Boyle, Head of Consumer Matters for WhatClinic, said: “In the UK the medical aesthetics market is one of the biggest and is still growing, with over 4,528 clinics listed on our site at the moment.  . It’s very interesting to see Cryolipolysis growing in popularity - however, lip augmentation is the most popular treatment by far. We had 92,452 searches for this over the past 12 months and it continues to grow year on year, up 13% in enquiries over the past year. There is definitely a ‘less is more’ trend when it comes to facial augmentation. Patients don’t want a drastic change; they’re more interested in looking like a younger version of themselves.

“Our advice is to do your research thoroughly before choosing a treatment, inform yourself of the risks with specific products, ask your practitioner if in doubt and look for informed and detailed answers. It’s also vital to check accreditations to make sure the clinic you choose is competent and professional. Finally, reading patient reviews will help you get a good sense of the results you can expect.”