what women really want is the perfect profile

There are many things which, over the years, have been added to the priority lists of women as we eternally strive for an ever moving, and achievable, perfection in our appearance.

Undoubtedly spurred on by celebrity trend setters, today we find ourselves strangely concerned by how thin our eyebrows are (why aren’t they bushy like Cara’s?) and worrying about our non-existent Kardashian curves; worries all magnified by constantly seeing photos of ourselves on social media.

But now, it seems, our desire to be beautiful has gone one step further. According to one London cosmetic surgery clinic, more and more of us are becoming concerned with how we look from the side.

And it seems this concern is translating in to a willingness to put our hands in our pockets ‘and invest in the latest cosmetic procedures in order to ensure that we appear perfect in the profile.

The Private Clinic of Harley Street has reported a significant rise in demand for procedures, which enhance patients’ appearance from a side-on view.

Procedures such as microcannular liposuction (or ‘Microlipo’), a procedure which removes pockets of unwanted fat and sculpts areas of the body, are becoming increasingly popular among women as a way of targeting areas such as under the neck and chin or at the back on the thighs.

In the first six months of this year, The Private Clinic witnessed a 15 per cent increase in demand for Microlipo, compared with the same period in 2013.

And this increase is down to patients hoping to improve those areas which significantly impact the profile appearance, including the neck, abdomen, upper arms, and thighs.

Similarly, demand for nose jobs or rhinoplasty from women hoping to improve their side silhouette has double from the level last year.

Demand for fat transfer to the buttocks, a procedure which involves removing fat from one area of the body and utilizing it to enhance and fill the buttocks, is also growing rapidly.

Five times as many patients opted to undergo the procedure in the first half of this year, compared with the same period in 2013, with women using it to increase the curve of their derriere from the side view.

Dr Puneet Gupta, Cosmetic Doctor and Joint Medical Director at The Private Clinic, said: ‘Procedures such as Microlipo and fat transfer are certainly growing in popularity.

There are many reasons for this, including the fact that these procedures enable patients to make subtle, yet positive improvements to areas of their body, which perhaps might not even be obvious when we look directly at the person from the front.

Some patients, for example, may seek a solution to the sagging area underneath the chin, around the neck area.

This area, from the front, may not concern the patient, but when they take into account their appearance from the side, suddenly it becomes a real issue. This is where a procedure like Microlipo, which is delivered under local anaesthetic, is a very effective solution.

‘Similarly, patients who choose to undergo fat transfer to the buttocks are of course not concerned with an area which is visible from the front. Instead, patients normally come to me because they dislike the shape of their buttocks or they feel that they lack fullness or any form of curve in the buttocks area.

For these patients, it may be possible to utilise fat from their stomach, thighs or flanks, and to use this to provide them with fuller, rounder buttocks.’

In addition to the above, the number of patients undergoing rhinoplasty procedures at The Private Clinic has almost doubled, year on year, making this – another procedure which targets the patient’s profile appearance – one of the most popular treatments already for 2014.