Even the temporary nature of Botox, which typically suppresses crow's feet, laugh lines and forehead furrows for six months, isn't enough to send 38.9 percent of women scrambling for their passports. As one survey participant remarked "Sure, Paris is a romantic destination -- in fact, it's always been a dream of mine to go there. But I'd rather have six months of looking my absolute best. We're talking about a couple hundred dollars and six months of results, versus thousands of dollars for one week."

A survey of 175 women asked about their attitudes toward aging and cosmetic procedures. The survey, conducted by Great Neck-based anti-aging medical center MesoBoutique, found that 80 percent of women ages 30 and up want to look younger, but only 36.5 percent would consider having a facelift, while 55 percent are interested in nonsurgical procedures such as Botox and microdermabrasion.

The MesoBoutique results track with data collected by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), which reports that while surgical procedures have increased by 119 percent since 1997, nonsurgical procedures such as Botox, laser hair removal, hyaluronic acids, microdermabrasion and chemical peels, increased a whopping 726 percent.

"The trend we're seeing is that women are more interested in turning back the clock and improving what nature gave them, not drastically altering it." said Nodar Janas, MD, a Board Certified physician and president of MesoBoutique.

"They want to look younger, fitter, more relaxed ... but they want to look like themselves," Janas said.

Despite increased awareness and acceptance of cosmetic plastic surgery by the American public, due largely to advances in medical technology, extensive coverage of celebrities' cosmetic procedures and television shows such as "The Swan" and "Nip/Tuck," a smaller percentage of women are opting for facelifts. According to the ASAPS, the number of facelifts performed in the U.S. has increased from 99,196 in 1997 to 150,401 in 2005, but overall, facelifts represent just 1.3 percent of cosmetic procedures. The same year, there were 3,294,782 Botox injections, representing 28.8 percent of all cosmetic procedures.

"There are many reasons why a smaller percentage of women are opting for facelifts," said Dr. Janas. "High cost, extensive recovery time and the risks of anesthesia are just a few of them."

"The vast majority of women are turning to injectables and other nonsurgical procedures because there's no down time, far fewer complications, much lower cost and ultimately, more satisfying results. The look they're pursuing is more natural, more subtle."

"There are a wide variety of nonsurgical cosmetic therapies that improve the skin's appearance and provide effective anti-aging results," said Janas. "MesoBoutique offers a range of these treatments, such as Botox, microdermabrasion, chemical peels, fillers, collagen boosters and the Titan Procedure, which is one of the latest and most promising light-based therapies for tightening lax skin."

Source: MesoBoutique

GREAT NECK, N.Y., Nov. 13 /PRNewswire/