There are several ways to view plastic surgery right now: a 21st-century form of sculpture, an insidious tool of homogenisation, a signifier of advanced social status or simply a way of making your life better. Whatever your take, whatever your ethics, the fact is that cosmetic surgery and treatments are becoming more socially acceptable. According to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, the number of procedures undertaken rose by 60% in 2004, when a total of 15,019 women underwent surgery in Britain.

Such is our fascination with plastic surgery, it has spawned its own subcultures: the pornography of surgery television, including Nip/Tuck, The Swan and Extreme Makeover; and surgery skincare, a whole new universe of surgery-mimicking beauty products that aim to augment and plump like never before.

Plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures such as Botox are spreading like a virus. It is a peer-group thing, gaining momentum through recommendation and rumour rather than marketing and ads. Friends tell friends, they offer advice on who to go to, then compare pain levels and results. Yet, despite all the media coverage and debate, the world of the surgeon is still closed, mysterious, codified. Operations and procedures carry their own levels of trauma, and debriefing your friends can provide a special kind of emotional anaesthetic.

It’s no news that there is good and bad surgery. That’s why we have put together this definitive guide. The best of the best, if you like. The surgeons and doctors who will really improve your body and your face. What to do after you’ve seen them. How to prepare for hospital. How to heal. We’ve removed the uncertainty, so you don’t have to listen to rumours, watch the celebs or book someone you’ve seen on TV. After all, if you’re going to turn yourself into a work of art, make sure it’s Michelangelo wielding the scalpel.

Wendy Lewis

INVASIVE PROCEDURES

FACE-LIFTS

THE OPERATION There is no such thing as the perfect face-lift, as there is such a variety of techniques in use today. A deep face-lift tightens muscles all the way down through the underlying tissues, then fatty tissues under the neck are suctioned away. Other procedures allow the surgeon to remove skin and lift and elevate the muscles through small incisions made around the ear. Some of the less invasive methods are more innovative in the positioning of the scars — for instance, the surgeon makes an incision behind the ear, then into the hairline, which is perfect for women who wear their hair up.

TIME TO HEAL Three weeks, depending on the method used.

RISK FACTORS Blood clots, numbness, tightness, asymmetry, thickened or raised scars, infection, delayed healing and nerve injury are all possible complications.

HOW LONG IT LASTS The results of the surgery are permanent. You will always look younger for having had a face-lift, although the ageing process marches on, and you can expect to need another one in 5-10 years as the jawline starts to sag again.

WHO TO GO TO Barry M Jones, 14A Upper Wimpole Street, W1; 020 7935 1938. Alan Matarasso, New York City; 00 1 212 249 7500.