A nationwide surge in men seeking to improve their bodies has caused male cosmetic surgery operations to rise by 200 per cent in five years at a local hospital.

Gynaecomastia, nicknamed “man boobs”, and belly size are two of the top five physical features local men are racing to remedy, the Spire Bushey Hospital has revealed.

Other popular procedures are upper eyelid surgery, nose re-shaping and chemical skin peels.

Jag Chana, plastic surgeon at Spire Bushey Hospital, warned people about the dangers of high expectations and rushing into surgery without first researching the procedure and hospital.

He said: “With the changing demographics of people having cosmetic surgery, there is a word of caution. Expectations need to be properly managed. If the elastic on your trousers is stretched, there is no way you can get it back.

"Similarly with the skin, once the elasticity loosens, it is a lot more difficult to get it back in shape. With the increased acceptance and accessibility of cosmetic surgery people’s expectations of what is achievable with cosmetic surgery have grown. The internet has also fuelled this and cosmetic practices are now treated more like shops.

“As a surgeon, it is my role to educate people about what is physically suitable and appropriate for their body shape. The consultation process is vital. There is a code of conduct that medically-trained professionals follow and integrity is really important, otherwise the patient/consultant trust relationship would collapse. It is about managing realistic expectations.”

Nationally, around 175 per cent more men aged over 70 are having surgery than five years ago. The number for men over 40 years old has risen by 94 per cent while men aged between 18 and 19 years old have had 116 per cent more cosmetic procedures.