Cosmetic procedures allow people to change their appearance and help themselves to feel more confident, but whether going under the knife or opting for one of the many non-surgical cosmetic procedures, it's important to do your research, with thousands of people turning to Google to search for various treatments.
But which are the preferred cosmetic procedures that we're searching for the most, and how does this vary around the world? We've used Google search data to find out!
Looking at both surgical procedures and non-surgical alternatives, there was a clear winner for the world’s favourite cosmetic procedure. Here are how the top three treatments overall look.
Botulinum toxin, more commonly known as Botox, is used to relax the muscles in your face and smooth out any lines and wrinkles. It’s administered using an injection and usually only lasts for around three to four months. Botox was by far the most commonly searched procedure that we looked at, coming out as the favourite in 82 countries around the world, including Brazil, Mexico, France, Spain and Italy.
Laser Hair Removal
Laser hair removal is popular with both men and women and is another popular non-surgical treatment, promising an end to waxing, threading, shaving and tweezing. It might sound a bit risky, but laser hair removal is a normal and safe procedure and was the most searched for treatment in both the UK and USA, as well as Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The most searched for surgical procedure on our list was liposuction, which came top in ten countries around the world. Liposuction is used to remove unwanted body fat and is carried out on areas of the body where deposits of fat tend to collect and can be hard to lose through exercise and a healthy diet, such as the buttocks, hips, thighs and tummy.
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For those who are looking to go under the knife, there was a much more varied picture across the globe. While liposuction was favoured in the highest number of countries (33), others such as hair transplants (25) and facelifts (23) weren’t far behind.
Liposuction is the one of the most popular forms of cosmetic surgery in the world and is increasingly proving popular with men, as well as women and despite the growth of non-invasive procedures, the popularity of liposuction has seemingly remained the same.
Hair Transplant
Hair transplants have become more and more popular in recent years, with many celebrities and athletes sporting new full heads of hair following surgery. The treatment can help to reverse and offer a long-term solution to thinning hair or even baldness.
Also known as a rhytidectomy, a facelift helps to tighten the skin on the face, removing wrinkles and sagging and giving you a more youthful appearance, often to be combined with other non-surgical alternatives such as skin peels.
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Many people think of drastic plastic surgery when they think of cosmetic procedures, but there are many non-invasive treatments too. These treatments are more accessible and affordable than the surgical alternatives and there was a clear winner when it came to the world’s favourite. Botox came out on top in 111 countries around the world, with others such as laser hair removal, microdermabrasion, sclerotherapy and permanent makeup only taking top spot in a handful of countries.
Botox has been a well-known treatment for years, but it seems like its still the number one option for those looking to rejuvenate their appearance. Other types of dermal fillers are available, but Botox remains the most popular choice.
Laser Hair Removal
For those who are sick of shaving and waxing, looser hair removal offers a much more permanent solution, although it is, of course, much more time consuming and expensive too! However, there are also now many devices which can achieve similar results at home.
Microdermabrasion is a non-surgical alternative to a facelift, offering to remove crow’s feet, age spots and acne scars by applying a mechanical handpiece to the skin which removes dead skin cells and helps to promote the growth of new, healthy ones and the production of collagen.
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We compiled a list of popular cosmetic procedures using various lists and articles from sources such as the NHS, the Harley Medical Group and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and found which one had the most average monthly Google searches in each country.
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The cosmetic procedures included in this page may be covered by private health insurance, if (a) they are medically necessary due to an underlying health condition and approved by Medicare, (b) you hold a certain level of cover, and (c) you've served any relevant waiting periods for that policy. Compare health insurance today.