Are those beautiful eyes losing their twinkle as fine lines, bags and dark circles begin to rear their ugly heads? And has slipping into that LBD (better known as the Little Black Dress) become a nightmare as the extra kilos ruin your silhouette? Fret not. With new(er) age cosmetic cures at hand, looking stunning in 2009 promises to be just a beauty clinic away — with practically no pain, much gain and with a shorter recovery time. The next year may just redefine lunchtime procedures.

So it’s not time yet to wave goodbye to your youthful good looks but to give in to advanced lasers with improved wavelengths and newer age filler treatments. Go for invasive — or better still —non-invasive surgeries based on updated technologies.

“Fractional lasers are the newest technology and will be big in 2009,” says Dr Navin Taneja, consultant dermatologist and venereologist, National Skin Centre, in Delhi. The laser beams from a fractional laser only affect the specific zones within the selected target area leaving the other zones within it intact.

Women in their late 30s to late 50s are already flocking to Dr Chiranjiv Chabbra’s clinic for her newly introduced advanced fractional laser treatments or Affirm treatments. Chabbra says that Affirm Laser (with 1320nm wavelengths) for face-lifting and anti-ageing, and Affirm Laser (with 1440nm wavelengths) for complexion and pigmentation and dark circles are hot new treatments. “The lasers heat up the collagen and stimulate new collagen production,” she explains.

Navin Taneja uses the latest CO2 fractional laser treatment on a patient,Jagan Negi

The lasers are effective in treating acne marks and depressions though you’ll have to go for six to 10 laser sessions for good results. The treatment isn’t cheap and costs Rs 5,000 per session.

Besides lasers, 2009 will be the year of new fillers. Restylane Vital and Restylane SubQ will pad you up when the fatty tissues are depleted and you want unwanted facial lines erased.

While Restylane Vital is designed for skin rejuvenation and to treat certain areas on the face, back of the hands and the neck, Restylane SubQ works its magic in areas (like sunken cheekbones) which need high molecular filling. It helps define facial contours through chin and cheek enhancement. The treatment will cost anywhere around Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 with effects lasting a year.

Anup Dhir offers solutions likes the Bra-line Backlift and Injection Lipolysis to get rid of flab,Rupinder Sharma

For men and women in their late 30s who suffer from sunken eyes and hideous dark circles, Periorbital Rejuvenation is the way to go. Perlane, a dermal filler, is popular in Periorbital Rejuvenation and fills up the sagging and sunken areas around the eyes.

Taneja is busy giving his clients a complete skin overhaul or resurfacing. Through the updated, state-of-the-art CO2 Fractional Laser machine, Taneja uses the conventional CO2 laser light with fractional technology. The CO2 laser light heats and removes the topmost layer of skin while the fractional technology targets small areas which allows faster healing.

Each treated spot stimulates the body’s own natural production of new collagen in the dermis and eliminates old epidermal pigmented cells on the skin’s surface. This procedure requires only one session and costs Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000

A client gets the latest Skin Renewal System treatment at Kaya Skin Clinic

If new injectibles or lasers are not your style, then check out Kaya Skin Clinic’s latest Skin Renewal System. This one promises to stamp out a dull and dead complexion, a patchy skin tone, dark spots, rough skin texture and fine lines — in no time at all.

To begin with, the skin is rubbed with anti-oxidant booster pads after which a gel or lotion is applied as per the skin’s requirements. This is followed by the application of a suitable peel solution with a brush. “The liquid or gel based peel solution removes the top layer of skin and provides a good stimulus for rejuvenation,” says Dr Hema Pant, dermatologist, Kaya Skin Clinic. The peeling treatment costs anywhere between Rs 1,300 and Rs 2,700 per session.

Body sculpting will also be big in the coming year — invasive or otherwise. Dr Anup Dhir, senior cosmetic surgeon, Apollo Hospitals, is already helping rid women of fat rolls and lumps on the back with a popular procedure called the Bra-line Backlift which removes the ugly bulges while hiding the scar under the bra-line. An invasive procedure, it takes an hour and costs Rs 17,000 to Rs 18,000 while the recovery time is almost two weeks.

Chiranjiv Chabbra uses the Affirm laser to treat dark circles at her clinic,Rupinder Sharma

But if invasive surgery is not your thing, then how about Injection Lipolysis to cure you of flabby thighs and a jelly-like tummy? Injection Lipolysis makes the fat break down which is then absorbed by the body’s metabolism. An active substance (called phosphatidylcholine which is a purified soya bean extract), is injected via very thin needles directly into the area concerned, causing the fat cells to dissolve. The fat which is released is then naturally disposed off by the body.

“The body circumference in this region is measurably reduced. And because the skin has elasticity, it tightens once again in the specified area,” says Dhir. The treatment costs Rs 30,000 but can’t be repeated for at least two months.

So, here’s to looking at a new you in 2009.