Nothing Natural about it

Aspiring pop-singer Heidi Montag has had several cosmetic surgery procedures. She accepted that she first got breast implants and confessed that the new breasts were a revenge for having been teased during her growing-up years. Owning the record of the highest number of plastic surgeries done in one sitting,the 23-year-old has had two breast augmentations,liposuction,a mini brow-lift,botox,fat injections,buttock augmentation and her ears pinned back. Montag is planning to go under the knife soon. This time around to get out of her Barbie body!

Back home Bollywood actors have undobutedly gone under the knife to enhance their looks. But none are open about the surgeries they have had in the recent past. Instead,they conveniently give credit to their lineage when questioned about the sudden change in their vital stats.

When we asked a B-town actress,who charmed the audience with her 70s look recently,if she had undergone a breast augmentation,she promptly denied it. Local doctors say that they have been witnessing an increase in the number of B-town celebrities wanting to opt for surgeries.

Renowned dermatologist and cosmetologist Jamuna Pai says,B-town celebs are increasingly going under the knife as they want to work on their looks. It makes them more confident. She adds that while earlier they travelled abroad for the surgeries,now all of them are doing it in India itself. Dermatologist Dr Malavika Kohli says,B-town is going the Hollywood way in terms of looks. The concept of aging gracefully doesnt exist anymore. Heres a list of procedures B-town celebrities are indulging in:

Cheeky grin

Even though rumour has it that Preity Zinta has undergone a jaw job to reduce the size of her dimples,those dents are still a hot favourite. Dimpleplasty,a favourite among Bollywood celebrities,is a 10-minute surgery where slight incisions are made on your cheeks,to get you that cute grin and a set of dimples in a flash. The process involves making a tiny cut in the skin to create a small indent. The underside of the skin is then attached to a deeper layer with a dissolvable stitch that holds the dimple in place.

Extreme manicure

Ugly veiny hands are a problem for most celebrities the minute they cross their 40s. But those can be easily smoothed into the plump and young-looking hands of a 20-something simply by injecting a solution into the veins. It causes the vein lining to swell and close,which makes them paler and less prominent.

Breast augmentation

Its most popular among celebs in Britain and India. Implants come in different shapes and sizes. Popular are the teardrop shapes,which can give a very natural look. Implants are a silicon pouch,usually filled with cohesive silicon gel,which has a texture similar to the inside of a jelly bean. The operation is done under general anaesthesia and takes a couple of hours.

Erase those wrinkles

Threads of gold are sewn into your face to stimulate the skins production of wrinkle-fighting collagen. A needle is used to weave the 24-carat thread into the layer of skin directly beneath the surface.

Snake therapy for your face

Katie Holmes,Naomi Campbell and Victoria Beckham are said to be fans of the synthetic vipers venom. It apparently mimics the effect that a snakes venom has on its victims. It freezes the face muscles like Botox and its claimed that wrinkles are less noticeable within 90 seconds.

Snap-it-on like Brangelina

Yearning for a dazzling smile to rival Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt? Visit your dentist. An impression of your mouth is taken and sent off to a Californian company,which makes the moulds. The snap-on smile is made of plastic and fits over your natural teeth,much like a gum shield. Its said that one can choose the celebrity smile they want to emulate and even the shade of white they want.

Melt that fat

Liposuction removes fat from problem areas like the stomach and thighs,leaving them slimmer and more defined. A narrow metal tube cannula is inserted underneath the skin through tiny incisions. Its then attached to a vacuum pump,which sucks out the fat. But there are side-effects. If the diet is not controlled then the patient can easily gain weight, says Dr Pai.

Hey shorty

No longer do actors need to add extra inches to their heels to match up to their co-stars height. Its easy to raise your height by one inch through a dermal skin surgery, says Dr. Pai.

A nose job

Rhinoplasty,which is very popular among B-town celebs,is done by putting in fillers and a little bit of botox,to take away the puffiness. If the bridge of the nose is very flat and low it can be filled up with a filler. Since the down-time for this process is zero,an increasing number of B-town celebrities are opting for this procedure.

Say bye-bye to your paunch

Stapling of the tummy is another popular trend. A flabby stomach is flattened and tightened with tummy tucks. According to Dr Pai,the new trend is to place balls in the patients stomach to reduce his/her appetite. Once the patient is accustomed to eating lesser quantities of food,the balls are removed.

Pad your booty

Actresses do not require body-doubles anymore. This procedure lifts a sagging bottom leaving it pert. Butts are given more shape and volume a fuller and rounder look by way of padding it, says Dr Kohli.

Stiffen up that neck

You can now get a slender neck with botox. With age, usually necks get shorter. But that can be rectified with a simple procedure. The four neck bands are held together and made to contract and then released. This helps increase the length of neck and it goes back to how it was years ago, says Dr Pai.

A cheeky affair

Dont have high cheek-bones or have lost volume on your face? You can sharpen and fill up your cheeks with fillers. Sugar molecules are injected into the dents and the folds of the skin are filled with these molecules to create glowing cheeks instantly.

Fillers for your eyes

Fillers are injections that take away the tired look from your eyes and give you bright,sparkling peepers. But its not long-lasting. The procedure needs to be repeated every six months, says Dr Pai.

Sweat no more

Sweat glands which have been a source of embarrassment for many celebs in the past are no longer a concern. Botox is injected into the affected areas to temporarily combat excessive sweating by stunting or freezing your sweat glands. The benefits last upto six-eight months.