More than one million celebrity-obsessed Brits will go under the cosmetic surgeon's knife every year by 2009 as nip and tucks become as accepted as drinking a cup of tea, according to new research.

More than £900 million will be spent on nip and tuck ops - such as boob jobs, Botox and facelifts - within three years as women and men follow the example of surgically-enhanced stars like Jordan, claim consumer analysts Mintel.

A total of 26,000 boob ops were carried out in Britain last year alone - a 160 per cent increase on 2003. And one-in-10 men would now also consider cosmetic surgery.

Indeed, cosmetic surgery is set to become so widely accepted that by next year alone the amount spent on cosmetic surgery (£659 million) will overtake that spent on the traditional British cuppa (£610 million), says the firm.

Medical Group, found that British adults will undergo an estimated 690,000 cosmetic surgery procedures this year alone, a 40 per cent increase on 2005 and up more than 240 per cent on 2001 figures.

This year Brits are set to fork out an astonishing £539 million on various cosmetic enhancements, ballooning 50 per cent on 2005 figures and a 338 per cent increase on 2001.

Mintel's senior market analyst Jenny Catlin said: "Acceptance of cosmetic surgery is growing within the British psyche, which is reflected in the increasing number of cosmetic surgery procedures being carried out in this country.

"Exposure to and desensitising of cosmetic surgery through television coverage and the popularity of procedures amongst celebrities has invariably played a key role.

"With further medical developments offering easier access to cosmetic treatments and as the 'mystique' factor lessens, the market will invariably attract new customers.

The British are still playing things safe with non-surgical procedures, such as Botox and chemical peels, proving most popular with 85 per cent of the market, equating to 415,000 procedures last year.

Last year face and neck surgery accounted for the greatest percentage of sales (30 per cent), with procedures costing a total of £108 million. Breast surgery (£100 million), non-surgical treatments (£83 million), lower abdominal operations (£47 million) and other procedures, such as ear and vein operations, (£21m) made up the rest of the market.

"Developments in laser technology mean that faster and more painless lasers can be used in facial rejuvenation, as well as for breaking down fat and cellulite.

"Face-lifts in particular look set to offer a wealth of options, none of which are as drastic as traditional surgery, with these advances likely to persuade more women and men to have what will become a modest procedure in personal care."

While just one-in-50 Brits (two per cent) have been under the knife, a further one-in-six (16 per cent) would consider having some form of cosmetic surgery - and not all of them are women.

While women (23 per cent) are still significantly more likely to consider taking the plunge, one-in-10 men (nine per cent) would also consider having plastic surgery.

The Mintel study found 'cost' (35 per cent) is the most likely factor to put people off having surgery done, suggesting that should these procedures become cheaper, surgery may well become a consideration for this group as well.

going wrong (25 per cent), fearing the danger to life (22 per cent) or believing it is not worth it (21 per cent) make up the remaining top five reasons not to have a nip and tuck.

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