“The beautiful people” may live in Chester but a new survey reveals they may be receiving a helping hand from their cosmetic surgeon. DAVID HOLMES reports.

CHESTER has been identified as third in a list of British cities in terms of the number of cosmetic surgeons per head of population.

The “vanity map” reveals Chester has 12.7 surgeons per 100,000 people, compared with Salisbury, which tops the list with 13.1 surgeons and Cambridge (12.7). Glasgow came bottom with just 0.9 per 100,000.

Douglas McGeorge, who practises at The Nuffield Hospital Grosvenor in Chester and is president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), said the “full spectrum” of people spent money on changing their appearance.

He said: “We all decide how we spend our money and if someone has a concern they may decide to swap their summer holiday – which makes them feel good for a few weeks – for something which will give long term benefits.”

Mr McGeorge, who has personally tried Botox once to experience the treatment, does not believe having cosmetic surgery is shallow.

“If it gives you more confidence, that’s not a bad thing. It isn’t necessarily superficial.

“You are doing it for your own benefit, not for anybody else.

“I think everybody is concerned to try and make the best of their appearance whether it’s putting on a smart coat, a nice shirt or a clean pair of shoes.

“If there is some aspect of your appearance that concerns you to the point where you would consider changing it then, today, there is no stigma associated with changing it.

“I don’t advertise and direct people to the door,” he said.

“If I don’t think people’s expectations are realistic I would not dream of treating them.”

He said some celebrities gave cosmetic surgery a bad image because they had “pushed the envelope”.

“The idea is to look good, not odd,” he said, explaining that the number of people who were unhappy with the results at his clinic were “few and far between”.

Figures from BAAPS show significant geographical variations in where its members practise.

While large cities have surprisingly few members per head of population, small cities with universities and cathedrals tend to have many more.

However, Mr McGeorge says the figures are misleading for Chester because it boasts a number of “shop fronts” but most procedures are carried out away from the city.