| Thousands of Britons are aiming to apply for a loan to | | | | per cent plumping for surgery after being |
| help pay for plastic surgery, new figures indicate. | | | | “egged on” by a loved one into having |
| In a study carried out by Abbey Loans, nearly one | | | | an operation to change the way they look, while one |
| million consumers are set to borrow to fund going | | | | per cent will do so to stop a certain part of their body |
| under the knife. According to the firm, some 918,000 | | | | being made fun of. |
| adults are looking to borrow through personal loans | | | | Overall, most people wanting cosmetic surgery are |
| and other means to finance cosmetic surgery | | | | women, as two-thirds of those desiring such |
| procedures. Overall, breast augmentation is the most | | | | procedures are female. Meanwhile, three out of five |
| popular operation sought by Britons, making up just | | | | operations are being planned by people aged between |
| over a quarter (27 per cent) of all surgery. Tummy | | | | 18 and 34. |
| tucks and rhinoplasties, better known as nose jobs, are | | | | Commenting on the research, Paul Morrish, head of |
| consumers’ second and third most popular | | | | Abbey Loans, claimed that more people are looking to |
| choice of operations - making up 25 and 17 per cent | | | | borrow money, whether this be via a personal loan or |
| of adults’ surgical desires respectively. | | | | other means, to help fund cosmetic treatment. He said: |
| In addition, the study showed that Britain is the most | | | | “Whether striving for visible perfection or as |
| desirable place to have cosmetic surgery done, as | | | | part of a medical treatment, plastic surgery is getting |
| some 83 per cent of respondents wish to stay in the | | | | more and more popular amongst Britons.” |
| country. Meanwhile, six per cent of consumers are | | | | As a result, those contemplating borrowing money to |
| looking to go under the knife in eastern Europe, where | | | | help pay for a surgical procedure, whether at home or |
| procedures are cheaper, with two per cent of people | | | | abroad, could be well advised to consider opting for a |
| aiming to have work done set to travel to the United | | | | low-rate personal loan. Speaking earlier this year, |
| States. According to the financial services firm, these | | | | Ariane Buteux claimed that taking steps to ensure that |
| people may be travelling across the Atlantic in a bid to | | | | they have a healthy credit rating could help consumers |
| take advantage of the competitive currency exchange | | | | secure access to cheap loans. Writing in the Money |
| rates with the US dollar. | | | | Pages, Ms Buteux stated that applicants should get a |
| Further research from the financial services company | | | | copy of their credit history and make sure that it gives |
| also showed that the majority (51 per cent) of those | | | | an accurate indication of their financial standing. She |
| wanting to modify their appearance do so in an | | | | also asserted that when applying for a loan |
| attempt to boost their level of confidence. Just under a | | | | prospective borrowers should be honest as being |
| third (32 per cent) of respondents stated that such | | | | economical with the truth may cause them to struggle |
| work is for medical purposes. This compares to two | | | | to successfully get credit in the future. |