Belfast residents among the least likely in the UK to search for cosmetic procedures

A new study reveals that Belfast is among the cities where cosmetic surgery is least searched for.

The study, conducted by Centre for Surgery, analysed 300 keywords regarding cosmetic surgery such as “cost of tummy tuck”, “blepharoplasty near me”, and “rhinoplasty before and after”, over the last 12 months, to find out where interest is highest in the UK. The final ranking is based on highest to lowest average monthly searches combined for all keywords in each city.

Belfast's findings

Belfast comes in twelfth place, with only 390 average monthly searches per 100,000 residents. This results from a total of 1,358 searches compared to its population of 348,005. The capital of Northern Ireland ties with Colchester, which also sees 390 average monthly searches.

Regardless of showing least interest in procedures compared to other parts of the country, the most searched cosmetic procedure is the Brazilian butt lift, also called BBL, a procedure that transfers fat from other areas of the body to enhance the shape and size of the buttocks, which registers 282 average monthly searches. This is followed by blepharoplasty, a surgical procedure that removes excess skin and fat from the eyelids, with 128 average searches, and nose reshaping, also known as rhinoplasty, a surgical procedure that alters the shape or structure of the nose, with 72 average searches.

Newport, in Wales, ranks as the first area with the least interest in surgery, with 220 average monthly searches per 100,000 population. This figure is based on 288 total searches for keywords related to cosmetic surgeries, compared to Newport's population of 130,890 people.

Canterbury, in Kent, comes in second with 231 average searches per 100,000 residents. This results from 370 total average monthly searches compared to its population of 160,351.

Milton Keynes, in Buckinghamshire, is third with 272 average monthly searches per 100,000 residents. The city records 700 total average monthly searches against a population of 257,600.

Further down on the list, York, in North Yorkshire, ranks fourth with 287 average monthly searches per 100,000 residents. The city records 443 total average monthly searches, compared to its population of 154,105.

Sunderland, in Tyne and Wear, rounds out the top five with 302 average monthly searches per 100,000 residents. With a population of 168,315, the city generates 508 total average monthly searches.

Sophia Ensor, spokesperson for Centre for Surgery, commented on the findings, “Cosmetic procedures have become increasingly accessible and widely discussed, leading to a significant shift in how they are perceived and therefore a normalisation of these treatments among both public figures and the general population.

"What really stands out in the data is that Belfast ranks among the UK cities with the least interest, while many smaller cities are showing proportionally higher interest than larger ones. This suggests that interest in cosmetic procedures is no longer concentrated in big urban centres, which is a significant shift from what we would have seen five years ago."