Recently released figures show that the image-conscious Britain spends more money on cosmetic surgery than any other nation.

In 2006, UK patients spent almost £500 million on cosmetic surgery, four times more than they did in 2001 and triple the amount that the Italians spent on plastic surgery across the same timeframe. Italians spent around £158 million on cosmetic surgery treatments, the second highest figure in Europe. France came third with a spend of £139 million, closely followed by Germany (£127 million) and Spain (£69 million).

These figures come at a time when GPs in the UK are concerned at the increasing pressure on local surgeries due to cosmetic surgery. Three in five doctors have said they have been visited by patients who had unsatisfactory cosmetic surgery, with 73% of doctors claiming they felt unprepared with the increasing demand for plastic surgery.

Across Europe, the number of people going for cosmetic treatments both invasive and non-invasive is increasing significantly. In 2006, Europe spent a whopping £1.337 billion on nips, tucks and Botox, although this figure was dwarfed by Americans who spend £5.678 billion over the same period.

It is expected that the cosmetic surgery market will continue to grow with experts predicting patients will spend over £11.5 billion by 2011. The UK is expected to continue it’s obsession with surgery with spending expected to treble and reach just under 1.5 billion by 2011.