Why are so many women turning to surgery after divorce?

As plastic surgeons say 50 per cent of female clients are new divorcees, Closer speaks to the women going to extremes to boost their confidence post break-up…

In the past, I breaking up with someone meant getting a new haircut, dieting, or overhauling your wardrobe in a bid to reinvent yourself and show your ex what he’s missing.

Khloé Kardashian cultivated the idea of the “revenge makeover” last year with her own TV show dedicated to helping newly-single people transform their appearance after being dumped. But, shockingly, an increasing number of women are now turning to the scalpel to boost their confidence post-split.

In November, Melissa Meeks made headlines when she underwent vaginal tightening after being dumped by her husband, Jeremy “hot felon” Meeks, who’s gone on to date heiress Chloe Green. Meanwhile, TOWIE’S Amber Turner recently had a breast enlargement after her break-up with co-star Dan Edgar.

And it’s a growing trend. A Closer survey of 500 women, powered by mobile app One pulse, revealed that a quarter of people would consider surgery as a way of lifting their selfesteem after a break-up. Plus, the most recent study by the Transform plastic surgery group, which owns 22 cosmetic surgery clinics nationwide, found that more than a quarter of plastic surgery patients were recently divorced women.

Dr Flor Kent, an Aesthetic doctor from Transform, says, “At the moment, around 50 per cent of the patients I see are divorcees. After going through the trauma of a break-up, women want to transform themselves. Surgery is a much quicker fix than things like diet and exercise and they can be more precise about what they want to change.

“Boob jobs, liposuction and labiaplasty [vaginal surgery], along with lip fillers and Botox tend to be the most popular treatments. Surgery is widely available now and it’s less of a taboo, so it’s seen as a fast way to improve your confidence.”

However, Closer’s psychologist Emma Kenny says women shouldn’t rush into surgery. She adds, “When you’ve been through a break-up, it’s natural to want to make a change. But it’s important to understand that a physical change won’t address your emotional problems. I’d advise addressing the trauma of a break-up first, even if that means counselling, before undergoing a drastic op that you could regret.”

If you’re considering plastic or cosmetic surgery, visit www.bapras.org.uk for advice and information.