Age proof your body turn back time, without surgery: face-lifts, eye jobs, and brow surgery are becoming passe. To shave years off your face, more doctors are turning to these lessinvasive—and often more effective—options

Shape, July, 2008 by Wendy Schmid

To look younger, you no longer have to go under the knife--or spend thousands of dollars. The newest injectables and skin-smoothing lasers combat brow furrows, fine lines, hyper-pigmentation, and other signs of aging for a fraction of the cost, with little to no downtime. "Scalpels are set to become a thing of the past," says Harold Lancer, M.D., an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the University of California, Los Angeles. "Hyaluronic acid fillers and muscle relaxers are the modern way to smooth and lift." In fact, injectables (the most popular of which are Botox Cosmetic, Juvederm, and Restylane) are the fastest-growing category in cosmetic surgery, with roughly 4.5 million people--both women and men--opting for them last year, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. To achieve younger-looking skin, follow this guide to the latest non-invasive procedures.

If you have

WRINKLES ON YOUR FOREHEAD

* Try Botox Cosmetic, which costs between $300 and $600. With this treatment, a diluted form of botulinum toxin is injected into a muscle to temporarily relax it, smoothing expression lines. Since wrinkles are partially formed by repetitive contractions, some dermatologists are now also using Botox in areas that are still smooth but prone to deep lines (e.g., next to the eyes and between the brows) to prevent creases from forming in the first place. The downside is that treatments must be repeated every three to four months, and you may have slight bruising wherever the needle entered the skin. Be sure to choose your doctor carefully though: "You don't want to take away all movement," says Fredric Brandt, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City, who explains that it takes experience not to make a patient look expressionless. To find a board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon in your area, visit botox cosmetic.com

Botox is slowly overtaking the brow lift(which costs about $3,400), a surgical procedure that smooths lines by pulling up the forehead through incisions made in the scalp. Complications may include too- taut skin and a higher-than-natural hairline.

* At-home fix Using a cream or serum with topical ingredients believed to impede muscle constriction may help soften lines too, though less dramatically than injectables. Both Sonya Dakar UltraLuxe-9 Age Control Complex ($185; sonyadakar.com) and SkinMedia TNS Line Refine ($70; skinmedica.com) contain a peptide that mimics snake venom and is designed to safely supply the muscle-immobilizing results of the real thing.

GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid) is another popular ingredient found in products like 24.7 Skin-care Targetted Wrinkle Treatment ($40; cvs.com) and Dr. Brandt Crease Release ($150; beauty.com). "GABA inhibits muscle contraction with line-smoothing results that can be quite noticeable," says Brandt. "In some cases, you can see results within minutes of application, and the effect typically lasts until you wash your face."

If your

LIPS ARE THINNING OUT

* Try hyaluronic acid injections (Juvederm is the current favorite), which typically cost between $500 and $1,000 for both top and bottom lips (one treatment should last from six to 12 months). Collagen injections are also popular; these injectables, which go by the names Cosmo-Derm or CosmoPlast, are fillers made from purified human collagen and cost between $400 and $800 per treatment (each one lasts up to four months). Both types of injections take only about 10 minutes, but they are painful. Many patients opt for a nerve block (similar to the Novocaine shot you get at a dentist's office) in addition to a topical anesthetic to make the procedure tolerable, says Jessica Wu, M.D., a Los Angeles dermatologist. Your lips will be swollen for about 24 hours and may look bruised for up to a week.

Lip injections are slowly making the V-Y lip augmentation, or lip lift, obsolete. This surgical procedure (which costs about $1,600) is designed to permanently increase the size of your lips. It involves making V-shaped cuts inside the lips, then stitching the cuts closed to create a more puckered-up shape. There is a six to eight-week recovery period, and risks include infection and possible permanent loss of feeling in parts of your lips.

* At-home fix You can get temporary plumping with products containing an irritant, like cinnamon, that causes blood to rush to the lips. Or pump up lips with hydrating ingredients like those found in Neutrogenea MoistureShine Lip Soother SPF 20 ($7; at drustores).

If your

EYELIDS ARE CREPEY

* Try Thermage, a device that uses radio frequency energy to heat the skin, causing collagen to contract (and stimulating new production of this firming fiber) and saggy skin to tighten, says Heidi

Waldorf, M.D., a New York City dermatologist (prices run from $1,200 to $2,000 per session; you'll need just one). "It's like shrink-wrap for the skin," she adds. But you won't get full results instantly--he firming becomes more apparent over six months. The most common complaint is pain; most patients opt for a prescription painkiller like Vicodin or a topical anesthetic.