8 out of 10 young women would consider having a Cosmetic Beauty Procedure

With the festive party season well and truly underway young women in Ireland are going to extraordinary lengths to look their best this Christmas. Worryingly, three quarters of young women report feeling under increased pressure to ramp up their beauty regime. Revealing the full extent of their efforts SHEmazing.net, Ireland’s biggest female celebrity, fashion, beauty and entertainment news website launches its SHEmazing! Cosmetic Beauty research. The in-depth piece of research asks young women how they feel about ageing. It also examines how attitudes towards invasive and non-invasive cosmetic beauty procedures in Ireland has changed immeasurably in recent years.

Worryingly, 51% of young women in Ireland are struggling with the ageing process with the majority taking a number of measures to counteract the ageing process including: exercising regularly (54%) taking vitamins and minerals (40%) and drinking less alcohol (28%). Shockingly, 8 out of 10 young women surveyed would consider having non-invasive cosmetic surgery done as a preventative treatment for ageing. Furthermore, 54% of young women surveyed say they would happily accept a voucher for a cosmetic beauty procedure as a present from a loved one this Christmas.

Insights from our SHEmazing! Cosmetic Beauty research include:
• 54% of the young women surveyed would be happy to receive a voucher for cosmetic surgery / procedure for Christmas,
• 75% of young women surveyed feel under increased pressure to look their best for the Christmas party season
• 10% of young women have undergone non-invasive cosmetic beauty procedures
• 51% of the women are uncomfortable with the ageing process
• 86% of young women would consider having non-invasive cosmetic surgery to counteract the ageing process
• 75% of young women surveyed know of other young women in their social circle who have had a cosmetic beauty procedure or surgery
• 16% of young women surveyed have already undergone a surgical and /or non-surgical procedure(s). Of these young women:
o 18% had the procedure(s) done before they turned 20 years of age
o 51% had the procedure(s) done in their 20s
o 20% had the procedure(s) done in their 30s
o 55% are spending €2,000 or less
o 45% are spending between €2,000 – €10,000
• The main factors preventing the 86% of young women who have yet to undergo a cosmetic procedure and / or surgery are:
o Cost (66%)
o The worry the procedure / surgery will go wrong (51%)
o Fear of not liking the result (30%)
• 34% of young women surveyed would travel abroad to undergo a cosmetic procedure and / or surgery
• 95% of young women say social media platforms adds to the pressure felt by women to look good
• 70% of women surveyed admit images of celebrities makes them feel self-conscious about their own appearance
• 26% of young women work in an industry where there is added pressure on them to look good
• 45% of young women admit being unhappy with their appearance

Insights highlight how young women’s attitudes towards cosmetic beauty procedures and surgeries have changed rapidly in recent years. A whopping 3 out of 4 young women surveyed know someone in their social circle who has had a cosmetic beauty procedure or surgery. Laser hair removal (65%), wrinkle smooth injections (51%), chemical peels (40%), face fillers (33%) and microdermabrasion (40%) are the top non-surgical procedures that young women would undergo to keep their youthful looks. When it comes to surgical procedures, a third of young women would consider having a breast lift (31%), a breast augmentation (29%), while 2 in 10 would happily have a tummy tuck (22%) and liposuction (20%).

Commenting on the research, Susan Vickers, from SHEmazing.net, said:

“Our SHEmazing! research into the Cosmetic Beauty Industry in Ireland is a real eye opener. Long gone are the days when a sparkly new dress and some red lipstick was enough to get prepped for the party season. Nowadays, it seems prepping methods have become much more sophisticated and sadly for some young women it involves checking in to one of Ireland’s countless cosmetic surgery clinics.”

“Furthermore, our research highlights the social pressures facing young women today is greater than ever before. The rise in digital media and social networking platforms have fuelled young people’s obsession with aesthetics. Young women’s newsfeeds on social media platforms like Facebook, Snap Chat, and Instagram are flooded with images of ‘perfect’ looking celebrities, however we urge young women to keep in mind that these images are often captured by professionals who use clever lighting techniques and editing tools. Of course, for many of these celebrities money is no object, they often employ teams of beauty, fitness and nutrition experts to keep them looking their best 24/7.”

“The cosmetic beauty industry in Ireland is experiencing rapid growth. In the past year alone, Ireland has seen the rise in convenient lunchtime procedures such as derma and lip fillers. Worryingly, our SHEmazing! research revealed that 34% of young women would travel abroad to source procedures at cheaper rates. This is a huge concern for us, we strongly advise any women thinking of travelling abroad to carefully research the cosmetic surgeon and clinic to ensure they are reputable.”

“It’s not all bad news though, the majority of young women surveyed who have had procedures claim it has had a positive impact on their life so far, with greater feelings of confidence, and some claiming it has helped them to advance in their career.”