We’re 5 friends in 50s who’ve had work done – can you tell who HASN’T had any?

Lisa used to rib me as she has never had surgery. Four have had work done, while one is tweakment-free.

All but one of these five friends have had a 'tweakment' or cosmetic procedure done
All but one of these five friends have had a ‘tweakment’ or cosmetic procedure doneCredit: Lorna Roach
Last year’s numbers for cosmetic procedures done in the UK were double those for 2022
Last year’s numbers for cosmetic procedures done in the UK were double those for 2022Credit: Lorna Roach

I’d never been big-chested but after having two children my boobs virtually disappeared.I didn’t want to be huge, I just wanted a natural look. In the UK, plastic surgeons are registered with the General Medical Council on the specialist register in plastic surgery.

‘Botox froze my face but plumped-up lips looked fab’

I’m a smiley, expressive person and I like to show that side of myself, so I didn’t do it again.

READ MORE ON TWEAKMENTS

Mande Loftman, 58, has had lip fillers, Botox and teeth whitening
Mande Loftman, 58, has had lip fillers, Botox and teeth whiteningCredit: Lorna Roach

This gel-water peel gently exfoliates the skin and clears the pores, claiming to showcase a refreshed face.Nora says: “Take some time after the consultation to read through all the information provided and to consider your discussion with the surgeon before going ahead with treatment. Unless I was really upset or conscious of something, I don’t think it’s worth the risk.There were teenage girls with bigger boobs than mine and I just didn’t feel complete.

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It took years off my appearance and around the age of 40, I started having Botox. Be aware that going abroad for surgery can make it harder to check your doctor and clinic has the proper credentials, and how to check them varies from country to country. It’s also very expensive and I’d rather save the money for something else, like a fancy holiday.””When I was 38, I finally plucked up the courage to have blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) on my upper and lower eyelids. “While the benefits are well known, expecting other areas of our lives or relationships to be transformed as a result of surgery is often a reason for disappointment.A SKIN peel is a chemical solution that is applied to the face to remove dead skin cells and to stimulate the growth of new ones. She has three children from a previous relationship. She says:I don’t have any skin regime either. I’m just lucky. I must be blessed with good genes.Jim was happy with how I looked before surgery but he was very supportive and encouraged me to do whatever I wanted to feel happy with myself.So even though all my friends have done it, I’ll never go under the knife.

‘I’m ageing well and don’t plan on ever having tweakments’

Afterwards, my confidence soared.

Lisa Lawler, 57, has had no tweakments done
Lisa Lawler, 57, has had no tweakments doneCredit: Lorna Roach

You can also check in the ‘find a surgeon’ section of our website, baaps.org.uk, for suitably qualified surgeons.These under-eye glasses utilise red LED light therapy to help reduce dark circles and puffiness around the peepers. “Going abroad for treatment can be safe but only if planned properly with additional safeguards.”It is said to be so effective that 100 per cent of testers achieved noticeable results when it hit the market. I’d always hated my eyes. I was ridiculed about the shape of my eyes as a child.MUM-OF-TWO Sarah Jane Fancourt is a full-time carer from Braintree, Essex. She says:She oozes confidence and if you are lucky to be that sort of person, then great. EYE-BAG removal is an expensive and invasive procedure, and the makers of the Spec-tacular believe their technology can remove the need for this. “I’ve always been happy with how I look and it wasn’t until age 56 I decided to try Botox. But I am in the minority among my friends. Lots of them have had treatments.The only thing I really didn’t like about myself was my lips. I’d recommend it to anyone and wish I’d done it years ago.THIS lifting roller helps to sculpt your face when slid along the jawline and cheekbones after applying your chosen serum or facial oil. Neutrogena retinol boost eye cream, £13.99, feelunique.comMy skin isn’t wrinkly and I don’t feel like I need any tweakments at the moment.I went abroad as it was so much cheaper. I spent around £6,500, but it would have cost that for my boobs alone in the UK.

‘My confidence soared after eyelid surgery. It
took years off’

I was quite traumatised and for years felt so unhappy about my appearance.

Elaine Bailey, 59, has had upper and lower blepharoplasty, Botox, lip filler, dental veneers
Elaine Bailey, 59, has had upper and lower blepharoplasty, Botox, lip filler, dental veneersCredit: Lorna Roach

It was only a small amount, but the effect was quite noticeable and I felt that it froze my face.But as I’ve grown older, I have started having it more regularly, around every three months.Overall, I think I’m ageing well.I don’t want to look like a spring chicken — it’s about looking after myself and making myself feel good. THIS cult product has a growing number of fans. INJECTING fillers into the lips is costly and uncomfortable, but people are raving about this lip gloss that gives the same results without the pain. The patches have been around for ages and have a faithful customer base who use the paper product as an alternative to invasive procedures like Botox.I should have been happy, but I wasn’t comfortable with my body at all. “I had my breasts enlarged when I was 30. There are so many treatment options available nowadays, so if you can do something that makes you look better and feel happier, why not?”MANDE LOFTMAN is single, a foster carer and mum-of-three from Barkingside, Essex. She says:Facial rollers are thought to have a variety of benefits to the skin, with the number one advantage being a more taut look to the face.Frownies forehead & between eyes (144 wrinkle patches), £28.95, frownies.co.ukInitially, I used to hide what I’d had done, but I’m happy to talk about it now.Last year’s numbers were double those for 2022 and, according to campaign group Save Face, around 900,000 Botox injections are administered a year.

‘I lost 4st but was left with excess skin on tummy’

Nora says: “You also need to consider after care — when will you meet your surgeon? People often say I look young for my age and I certainly don’t feel 57.

Tracy Doubtfire, 57, has had a tummy tuck and liposuction, as well as a boob lift and reduction
Tracy Doubtfire, 57, has had a tummy tuck and liposuction, as well as a boob lift and reductionCredit: Lorna Roach

Then, a few years ago, I finally took the plunge and had some filler.Research thoroughly before having any treatment. “Ensure you see a qualified practitioner.StylPro Spec-tacular EMS & red LED under-eye glasses, £39.99, Boots“I’m a really confident, bubbly person and I’ve never been embarrassed about how I look.This tube is filled with a gloss “plumper” you apply over lippie or on bare lips that 96 per cent of customers found left their mouth appearing fuller and more pouty from the very first application.I do like to try and look my best though, so I also have individual LED lashes and teeth whitening. I didn’t necessarily want to look younger than my age, I just wanted to look good for my 53 years and the injections have given me a fresher look.It has a reasonable price point and it is packed with pure retinol which has been proven to increase collagen production, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.Too Faced lip injection maximum plump lip plumper, £19.50, lookfantastic.comThen a few years ago, I lost about four stone. That was all I did for a long time, but then I started having Botox in my early forties.It’s the best thing I ever did and it gave me so much confidence about my appearance.Even if I did, I don’t think it would make me look younger – I’d just look like I’d had work done.But I’ve never had any work done to my body. I go to the gym and try to look after myself that way.TV shows like Love Island help to drive the increase but Nora Nugent, head of The British Association of Plastic Surgeons, says: “It is also due to greater affordability and, relatively speaking, a gradual normalisation.”

‘I went from an A to a C cup and I’m so happy with them’

I’ve done it three times now at different clinics and I’m really happy with the results.

Sarah Jane Fancourt, 53, has had botox and breast enlargement
Sarah Jane Fancourt, 53, has had botox and breast enlargementCredit: Lorna Roach

It’s quite subtle. I didn’t want the frozen look.I’ve had Botox, but not for a while. I do have wrinkles, like many women my age, but they don’t bother me so much. COSMETIC “tweakments” are booming in the UK.I’m not too wrinkly anyway, fortunately.I hated the lines between my eyes and just felt my face always looked exhausted.“For many of these treatments, this means a doctor. For cosmetic surgery, this means a plastic surgeon, or for a rhinoplasty, an ENT surgeon, or a plastic surgeon.”AXIS-Y PHA resurfacing glow peel, £16.90, SuperdrugI still debated it for another two years after that as it was such a big decision, but I saved up and went for it, spending around £3,500 on the operation which lifted and changed the shape of my eyes.They are very thin and for years I thought about having them plumped up a bit, but I was too nervous to go ahead.Boop facial lifting roller, £3.29, boopbeauty.co.ukI had a tummy tuck, liposuction, an arm lift, a slight breast reduction and uplift, and monsplasty, which is the removal of excess skin from around your pubic bone. “As with other decisions, they need to be taken by you, without pressure from others or without expecting transformation in other areas of life.SCHOOL bus driver Tracy Doubtfire, from Bow, East London, lives with husband Jim Butcher, 67. I didn’t want big fish lips, I just wanted them to look a bit more defined, but still natural.But I’ve got to the age where I care less about what people think and I do what suits me.”I’m pretty happy with how I look and I’m healthy, too, which is the most important thing.”The lightweight design makes them easy to wear while you go about your day.

The ‘must dos’ before taking a tweak

I have the jabs in three areas, my forehead, the so-called “eleven lines” in between my brows and around my crows’ feet.THESE wrinkle-smoothing patches are worn while you sleep to hold muscles in place, and allegedly “retrain them to relax into their original smooth flat position”. I did try lip filler once but that wasn’t for me, so I wouldn’t do it again.Years later I read a newspaper interview with a top plastic surgeon and began to give it serious thought.THE number of beauty salons offering surgical treatments is increasing but there are alternatives.I’ll be 60 next year, but I only feel about 30. I want how I look to reflect how I feel on the inside.”I did my research online and made sure I went to a good surgeon.I’m so happy with them.But before you fork out for this procedure, try this beauty aficionado favourite that works in a similar way. I’ve since had Botox around my eyes and in my forehead, to get rid of my angry frown. I’ve also had fillers in my lips.One recently told me she even had her bum done. Each to their own, but it’s not for me.I walk a lot and I do a lot of steps while at work, so I look after myself that way and hopefully that keeps me young.Some celebrities go too far and I worry that I’d end up looking worse.I liked the fresh look it gave me and I didn’t want to have spent all that money on blepharoplasty to end up with crow’s feet.

PRODUCTS THAT TURN BACK TIME WITHOUT SURGERY

I’ve got to 57 without having any cosmetic treatment and I don’t plan on ever having anything done.”Will there be a language barrier? How long will you stay in the country and how will you access routine follow-ups?I’m incredibly happy with the results.

The Boop facial lifting roller helps to sculpt your face
The Boop facial lifting roller helps to sculpt your faceCredit: supplied

“All my life I’ve struggled with my weight. I had horrible bingo wings, so I always made sure the clothes I picked had sleeves, no matter how hot it was. NORA NUGENT, president of BAAPS, says: “Before proceeding with any cosmetic treatment, surgical or non-surgical, it is key to think about why you are really doing it.I started thinking about surgery and so, in 2022, I went to Turkey.The lady I go to is excellent and never overdoes anything and will tell me if I don’t need something.

Frownies wrinkle patches are worn while you sleep to hold muscles in place
Frownies wrinkle patches are worn while you sleep to hold muscles in placeCredit: Frownies

I’d never have worn a vest top or anything like that.People do notice when I’ve had Botox and often comment that I look young for my age.I had a lot of excess skin around my tummy and felt like the weight loss had been for nothing.

These under-eye glasses utilise red LED light therapy to help reduce dark circles and puffiness around the peepers
These under-eye glasses utilise red LED light therapy to help reduce dark circles and puffiness around the peepers

ROYAL Mail worker Elaine Bailey, a mum of one, in Loughton, Essex. She says:Nikki Watkins picks the products beauty fans are choosing as an alternative to surgically turning back the years.My confidence has soared and for the first time in decades I can wear the clothes I want to wear.Today, five friends in their fifties, discuss their procedures.

Neutrogena retinol boost eye cream has a loyal fanbase
Neutrogena retinol boost eye cream has a loyal fanbaseCredit: supplied

It was on and off at first, mainly around special occasions such as a birthday or Christmas.I think it’s a dangerous game.SECURITY worker Lisa Lawler, lives in Chigwell, Essex, with her partner Rob Smith, 52. She says:Once you have found a potential surgeon who performs the procedure you are interested in, see them for a consultation.

This gel-water peel gently exfoliates the skin and clears the pores, claiming to showcase a refreshed face
This gel-water peel gently exfoliates the skin and clears the pores, claiming to showcase a refreshed faceCredit: supplied

The last time I had filler, my lips were black and blue after the injections, but once that had died down, they looked fab and I did look younger.“What happens if a problem or complication arises, either before you return home or after you are at home?”I know lots of younger girls who do it when they really don’t need it and I don’t want to go down that road.I get lots of compliments on my lips. I also had four dental veneers after falling over and chipping my teeth.

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Too Faced lip injection maximum plump is less costly than filler
Too Faced lip injection maximum plump is less costly than fillerCredit: supplied

I was a tiny 32A and, after surgery, I went up to a C cup. This version looks great on your beauty table and is purse-friendly too.

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