Demand for anal bleaching has risen by about a fifth in the past year as women 'feel under pressure to look like porn stars', figures suggest.

The trend was sparked after celebrities – including Sophie Kasaei, Charlotte Crosby and Kourtney Kardashian – revealed they have had the procedure.

It involves lightening the colour of the skin around the anus for cosmetic purposes, to make it more uniform with the surrounding area.

Some treatments are applied in a salon by a cosmetic technician – including laser therapy – and others are sold as cream that can be applied at home.

Anal bleaching hit the headlines when Marnie Simpson bleached Sophie's bottom on Geordie Shore back in April.

Now a leading medical aesthetic clinic based in London has reported a large increase in the number of women – and sometimes men – asking for the procedure.

Anal bleaching hit the headlines when Marnie Simpson bleached Sophie Kasaei's bottom on Geordie Shore back in April

Now a leading aesthetic clinic in London has reported a large increase in cases

Sheri Johnson, clinic manager at HB Health of Knightsbridge, said: 'We have seen a rise of 23 per cent in the past year at the clinic. Laser therapy is the most popular, accounting for around 95 per cent and cream treatments about five per cent.

'It's predominately women who come for the bleaching but we have had a few men in this year too.

'There's not one particular age group, we get young women right through to older women.

'I think women are feeling under pressure from their partners to emulate the look of adult stars that are seen in porn.'

Anal bleaching involves lightening the colour of the skin around the anus – a procedure Charlotte Crosby admitted to having

Reality TV star Kourtney Kardashian also confessed to having had anal bleaching

Marnie and Sophie's former co-star Charlotte Crosby confessed she had the procedure done on Celebs Go Dating – much to the shock of her hunky dinner companion Danny.

And Kourtney Kardashian also admitted to getting the procedure on Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami.

What does anal bleaching involve and is it safe?

Laser anal bleaching is carried out by using a cutting-edge technology laser. Most clients have a few sessions and each session usually takes 10-15 minutes. Some combine it with cream treatment.

The laser aims to remove the melanine layer which causes the undesirable dark colour.

In the final episode of Geordie Shore, viewers left shocked by X-rated scenes as Sophie was seen bending down to show off her anal bleaching

The procedure is performed with local anesthesia as 'some people may find it painful' as Ms Johnson explains.

She said: 'People may have a darker colouring around the anus for lots of reasons.

'It may be genetic, or as a result of hormonal changes, age or other conditions.

'Pregnancy and the menopause can have an impact down there too.

'The laser treatment damages the skin so it can rebuild itself and it grows back whiter.

'Laser therapy is more expensive but quicker. It depends on the person but the desired look can be achieved in anything from a few days to a month with laser and with a cream it can take a few months of applications.'

Anal bleaching by laser costs £500 a session and most people need a few.

Ms Johnson said that laser bleaching comes with small risks of infection and scarring and stressed it was important to have it at in a professional clinic setting.