A study by the Harley Street Medical Group has found that the number of menopausal women seeking cosmetic surgery has risen by nearly 70% over the last year.

Cosmetic surgery has always been popular among women over the age of 50, who are not only starting to notice lines and wrinkles, but are facing problems with a dry and sagging complexion as a result of the drop in certain hormones after the menopause.

Quick and easy non-invasive treatments like botox, chemical peels and dermal fillers are all becoming more popular as even the ordinary woman on the street seeks a way to hold on to her youthful looks for a few years longer.

Lisa Littlehales, London manager at The Harley Medical Group, said: ‘Your body changes dramatically when you go through the menopause – you can look and feel quite different to how you did, and this can hugely affect your confidence.

‘We’ve noticed a huge rise in these women approaching us for non-surgical treatments. They don’t necessarily approach us to look younger – they approach us to ensure they look better, for longer.’

According to Rajiv Grover, plastic surgeon and president elect of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), women in their fifties are the most likely to undergo these non-surgical procedures as they face their post-menopausal look.

‘Oestrogen is a promoter of skin health and increases the levels of collagen, elastin and moisture content in the skin, all of which help to keep it smooth and supple,’ he said.‘When you go through the menopause, the levels of oestrogen fall and so fine wrinkles appear and the skin becomes loose and saggy. This particularly happens around the forehead where you have active muscles causing frowns. When you are younger, the collagen and elastin mean these lines are not defined.’