Fat freezing named fastest growing aesthetic treatment of 2016

Cryolipolysis, also known as fat freezing, was the fastest growing treatment in 2016 with 130% increase in enquiries, according to research by UK private clinic comparison site WhatClinic.com.

The procedure freezes stubborn pockets of fat so they can be naturally flushed away and usually costs on average £613 for the treatment. Zeltiq Coolscultping, a particular type of cryolipolysis, was the second fastest growing treatment with enquires up 75% in the past 12 months, the data found.

“Coolsculpting in the right person is a miracle treatment, a true alternative to surgery and scientifically it stacks up,” says Dr Susanna Hayter, medical director of My Beauty Doctor in Marlow. “The treatment is particularly successful in very active people who are finding it difficult to get rid of stubborn fat pockets with exercise.”

However, non-surgical facelifts, from thread lifts and chemical peels to filler and “energy transfer” procedures, are set to be big in 2017, with a 19% increase in enquires last year and a 91% increase in the last three months of 2016 alone.

“People are starting earlier while they’re still happy with their looks and opt to minimise their wrinkles with fillers and anti-wrinkle injections. The aesthetic doctors who are good at treatments are simply reversing the clock, not making people look completely different, and this appeals to nearly everyone,” explains Dr Hayter.

2016’s fastest-growing beauty treatments based on increase in enquiries in the past year are:

1. Cryolipolysis – 130%
2. Zeltiq Coolsculpting – 75%
3. Platelet rich plasma filler – 56%
4. Macrolane – 29%
5. Non-surgical nose job – 25%
6. Dermal fillers – 24%
7. Non-surgical facelifts – 17%
8. Thread lift – 17%
9. Lip augmentation – 13%
10. Carboxytherapy – 13%

The top five predicted treatment trends for 2017 (based on the biggest increase to enquires in the past three months) are:

1. Non-surgical facelifts – 91%
2. Platelet rich plasma filler – 28%
3. Deep chemical peel – 25%
4. Thread lift – 23%
5. Dermal fillers – 3%

The insight for this survey was based on more than 584,000 visits to medical aesthetics pages, with more than 63,525 online enquires sent by UK clinics on the site.