Forget home improvement loans, the new improvement trend is self, with many Brits prepared to borrow big bucks to enhance their bodies.

New research from Abbey reveals:

• Of those surveyed, nearly one in ten would consider going under the surgeon’s knife or have already done so; and of those, women outnumber men by nearly three to one (14% compared with five per centiii)
• Of the respondents considering cosmetic surgery, more than a quarter (27 per cent) would borrow to fund a better bodyiv, and they’d borrow an average of £4,156.The men surveyed are prepared to borrow more than women for cosmetic surgery and claim they would borrow up to £4,190. Their female counterparts would borrow just £3,900.
• Of the operations considered, the top choice for women taking part in the study would be breast surgery (58 per cent) – for which they’d need to find £5,750.
• Male respondents considering cosmetic work are most likely to opt for a nose job (30 per cent), at a cost of £4,500.
• Both sexes, however, are keen to fight the flab. The survey reveals that liposuction is the second most popular procedure for both sexes. A quarter (25 per cent) of the men and a third (33 per cent) of women considering plastic surgery would go for liposuctionix, costing £4,450.

The Abbey research proves that living on credit is now a fact of life, with nearly a quarter (24 per cent) of respondents admitting they would happily borrow up to £20,000 without losing a wink of sleep.

Angus Porter, Abbey’s Customer Director, said: "We are borrowing more today than ever before, but we have more control over our finances than past generations. We live in a 'have it all' society and people are more comfortable about borrowing to achieve what they want, rather than only doing so when they feel there is no other option.

“But rather than just taking the first credit card on offer, or worrying about tiny differences in rates, we're trying to help people get the right advice so they can borrow properly. Our 'Managing Your Borrowing' service looks at the most appropriate way for each person to borrow money - from loans to credit cards, overdrafts to mortgages - it's all about matching the customers needs and circumstances to the right type of borrowing.”

Of those surveyed, the image-conscious Welsh and those from the Midlands would borrow the most to fund their plastic surgery – an average of £4,420 – compared to satisfied Scots who would seek to borrow just £3,930.

Procedure: Cost (£)
Face/neck lift: £7,750
Breast reduction: £6,000
Breast augmentation (breast implants/enlargement): £5,500
Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck): £5,200
Rhinoplasty (nose surgery): £4,500
Liposuction (major): £4,450
Blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery): £4,000
Brow lift: £2,500
Otoplasty (ear surgery): £2,500
Liposuction (minor): £2,000