Beauty before age

Previously hotly denied or kept confidential, cosmetic procedures can now be so professionally performed and natural-looking that they are far more mainstream then you'd ever imagine. They're also the quickest - and most effective - way to erase the signs of ageing, with innovations and technologies being introduced all the time.

Ten years after the United States Food and Drug Administration approved it for cosmetic use, Botox is overwhelmingly the most popular procedure at many Hong Kong clinics, such as Firma Medical Aesthetic Group. "If you've never had Botox before it's an instant five to seven years off," says Firma's medical director Dr Wally Chen. Used mostly on the upper face to correct forehead, frown and upper eye wrinkles, Botox (and Dysport) can also be used to slim the jawline.

Rather than administering a one-size-fits-all application, Chen customises the procedure for each client. "After all, everyone's face is different, and by altering the dose or area you inject you can alter or correct pre-existing asymmetries," he says.

Fillers have also gone mainstream, with Juvéderm and Restylane used to firm and replump. "There have been many advances since they were introduced," says Justine Grier, skin specialist and founder of The Skin Gym. Firma also offers Sculptra, which takes longer to work but lasts longer - up to two years.

At Life Clinic, medical director Dr Stephen Chan says Sculptra is the leading aesthetic procedure his staff carries out. "Sculptra is significantly more expensive but as it comes in a 10ml vial you can touch up everything - the temples, the eye bags, the sagginess in the face - at once, and it looks very natural because it's not just one area."