Breast Implant
Spending on cosmetic surgery procedures is forecast to fall by 20 per cent this year, as the recession takes its toll on the sector. Spending in the sector rose steadily in recent years, reaching €54 million last year.
However, that figure is expected to fall to €43 million this year, according to figures from Aesthetic Surgery Ireland (ASI), a business owned by five consultant plastic surgeons who also have public appointments in Dublin hospitals.
According to ASI, there has been a 16 per cent drop in the number of surgical procedures this year, while the number of minimally-invasive procedures fell by 7 per cent.
Dermot Kelly, chief executive of ASI, said the decline in surgical procedures was mainly driven by the reduced demand for breast augmentation, which is one of the most popular procedures undertaken at cosmetic surgery clinics.
He said this was because young women ‘‘did not have the same disposable income’’ and did not find it as easy to get loans for breast surgery.
Kelly said figures for nonsurgical treatments, which are minimally invasive, were buoyed by the soaring popularity of anti-wrinkle treatments such as Botox and dermal fillers. The demand for Botox and dermal fillers has risen by 20 per cent this year.
Kelly said that many clinics and doctors had reduced their prices, with some advertising discounts of up to 80 per cent.
The average fee for breast augmentation has fallen by 13 per cent, from€6,200 to €5,400, according to ASI. The cost of laser hair removal procedures has dropped by an average of 31 per cent.
Dr Patrick Treacy, medical director of the Ailesbury Clinic in Dublin, said he had adjusted his prices, with the cost of fat removal procedures down by 30 per cent. Treacy is not an accredited plastic surgeon, but describes himself as a cosmetic doctor.
‘‘We dropped our Macrolane [breast enhancement injection] prices from €3,500 to €2,900 and we are running offers on laser and Botox treatments,"
He said customers were opting for non-surgical procedures, such as dermal fillers, ‘‘to tide them over’’, as opposed to ‘‘getting a face-lift for €7,000’’.
According to ASI, men account for an estimated 8-10 per cent of surgical procedures. Kelly said there was a small rise in the number of men getting procedures done this year, while the number of men seeking hair implants was also on the rise.
At least six cosmetic clinics in Dublin have closed their doors over the past year. Kelly said that feedback from the Irish Association of Plastic Surgeons showed that customers were more aware of the need to check the credentials of cosmetic clinics and surgeons.
‘‘The public are becoming more knowledgeable about the need to ensure that surgical procedures are performed by consultant plastic surgeons who are properly qualified, registered with the Irish Medical Council and resident in Ireland," he said.
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