New figures show the beauty industry is growing four times faster than the wider economy. The fastest growth is in beauty services and non-invasive treatments. These ‘injectables’ that freeze or fill your face are becoming more and more mainstream in the UK, even among women in their early 20s. Meanwhile, more celebrities than ever are admitting to going under the knife (or needle) and breaking the long-held taboo. How did we get here, and what does it say about the changing face of beauty?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Anna Murphy, Fashion Director, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Hannah Varrall.

Further reading: This is how I’d look with tweakments — but I’d never freeze my face 

Further listening: The Rise and Rise of Botox 

Clips: Snow White (2025) (Disney), TikTok @RachLeary, Access Hollywood, The Kelly Clarkson show, Better Together with Maria Menounos, Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Miss Me (BBC Sounds), TikTok @4ll3gr4a, TikTok @nyeatsbrown, TikTok @katiedaisyd, TikTok @JonathanJoly, TikTok @garzacrew, ABC7 News Bay Area, Gloss Angeles podcast, Vogue’s Beauty Secrets.  

Photo: Getty Images

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