In 2006, over 102,000 people aged 40 and older had a facelift. In fact, the facelift is the second most popular cosmetic surgical procedure for both men and women over 55, according to ASPS statistics.

A groundbreaking study in June's Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, shows that the human face is made up of fat compartments positioned in areas around the forehead, eye, cheek and mouth that individually change with age.

When we're young, the transition between these compartments is uniform and smooth. As we age changes occur between these regions due to loss, gain, and shifting of facial fat. These changes lead to sagging, "hollowed" skin, and wrinkles.

This new information helps plastic surgeons more accurately pinpoint trouble areas and use fillers to add volume to individual sections of the face, creating a more effective way to turn back the clock.

Whether injectable fillers, surgery, or using a combination to treat all of the signs of aging, the procedure(s) selected should fit the needs of the patient.

While a full surgical facelift used to be the only option for minimizing the appearance of wrinkles, injectable wrinkle fillers and new laser treatments allow people to put off a facelift. However, these new non-surgical treatments are not cure-alls. At some point (often starting at around our 50's), we all reach a level of facial aging where surgery may be the best option.

A new facelift technique that places the incision at an angle within the temple areas (as opposed to above the ears) allows for better hiding of the scar as hair grows back through the scar. The technique minimizes the Joan Rivers look, and allows women to pull their hair back without exposing a scar, and men to grow sideburns without having missing hair.

Q: I am interested in breast augmentation in general, and more specifically the prospect of receiving the new silicone gel implants. What is the current status of safety for these implants under the FDA, and how much more do they cost in compared to saline implants?

A: Silicone gel implants were recently approved by the FDA, and seem to be a terrific alternative to saline implants. We participated in the clinical trials, and I think they provide a better feel than the saline, look more natural, and there are several great choices available. I believe they are safe and the costs are similar to saline.

Q: I'm thinking about having liposuction for my upper arms, front and back of armpit area. I'm not extremely overweight, but these areas have not gotten any smaller with exercise, and are out of proportion with the rest of my body. Can this all be done at once?

A: Liposuction is a great way to treat these areas. All of the areas you mention can be operated on in one session. In fact, many of our patients find doing this all at once preferable to minimize recovery time.

According to ASPS statistics, so called "Mommy Makeover" procedures like tummy tucks, breast augmentation and breast lifts saw an 11 percent increase from 2005 to 2006 in women ages 20-39, and were among the most popular procedures.

With women giving birth later, trying to juggle motherhood, while managing their careers and busy schedules, cosmetic surgery has become a great solution to returning to pre-pregnancy shape.

While SmartLipo™, and other laser-assisted liposuction procedures are all the rage in the media right now, traditional methods may be the best, according to a recently published study in the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Journal.

Although it was approved by the FDA in 2006, SmartLipo™ is controversial for some experts due to recent data that shows that the procedure is no more effective than traditional liposuction. Additionally, the procedure releases free fatty acids when destroying the fat cells and may present risks to the liver and kidneys.

SmartLipo™ can take longer than traditional liposuction, and be more costly. Balancing all of these factors, SmartLipo™ does not have an advantage over standard liposuction.

Two other non-surgical ultrasound based lipoplasty methods currently under review are Liposonix® and UltraShape® (neither has been approved by the FDA as of yet). If approved, ultrasound-based lipoplasty (which uses an external ultrasound device to target and destroy fat cells) may offer patients a convenient, non-surgical alternative to traditional liposuction.