THE AVERAGE BRITISH WOMAN spends almost £500 (€575) ‘reinventing themselves’ after they are dumped, according to a new survey.

The study, commissioned by pharmacy chain Superdrug, surveyed over 2,000 women who had recently been given the boot by their boyfriends – and found that, on average, women spent £496.66 trying to revamp their appearance afterward.

New clothes comprised the largest chunk of that spending – accounting for £122.42 of the newly-jilted woman’s spending – while they also spent £91.82 on a new haircut and hair colouring.

Other major components of their spending included a gym membership, buying new shoes, buying new make-up, and going for a manicure or pedicure.

More than half of the women polled admitted that they wanted to revamp their physical appearance after their break-up, which left them feeling unattractive or unwanted.

Three quarters of the respondents felt that their reinvention was ‘worth every penny’, however.

Perhaps worryingly, six per cent of women admitted to having undergone cosmetic surgery in a bid to boost their body image.

The survey also found that the average woman spent £70 a week socialising with friends in the immediate aftermath of a breakup, while one in nine women paid around £47 on dating websites trying to find a new partner.

Superdrug’s Simon Comins said the pharmacy chain had observed a surge in the sales of home hairdressing kits, and home manicure sets, as people sought to cut costs during the harsh economic times.