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This therapy not only tightens the skin, but also removes pigmentation and scars,” says Chhabra. That will be Rs 1,000 per sitting.

And women certainly don’t have to go under the knife for sagging breasts, a wobbly tummy and loose skin. Hi-tech systems like Beautytek are multi-functional and offer non-surgical solutions for a variety of girlie woes. Per sitting, it’s between Rs 1,000 and Rs 5,000 for a facelift, Rs 6,500 for a tummy tuck and Rs 5,000 for cellulite reduction on the arms and another Rs 8,000 for the thighs. Of course, you’ll need at least five to six sittings. Cellulite reduction all over the body costs Rs 1 lakh.

Another new treatment on the block is Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) that also wards off sun damage, deletes fine lines, wrinkles and stamps out pigmentation. A special gel is thinly applied to the affected area and pulses of light are flashed over it. IPL skin rejuvenation for the face costs Rs 5,000 while full skin resurfacing costs Rs 20,000.

You can make your skin blemish free with older treatments like micro-dermabrasion or full-body laser treatment. These last for 40 minutes to an hour, while the anti-ageing facelift laser (non -surgical) takes only 10 minutes to tighten and tone.

But sometimes non- surgical treatments are simply not enough. Dr Taneja says that in some circumstances surgical or invasive methods are suggested. These have been around for a while and some continue to be very popular. Take your pick: laser therapy, rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty (to reduce eye bags and sagging eyelids), abdominal plasty or dermabrasion. “Tummy tucks, breast implants and nose and face jobs are the top of the popularity charts,” he says.

However, the latest procedure around is the thread lift. In this case, tiny threads are placed under the skin and pulled. This is also being used to correct features. “If one of your eyebrows looks droopy as compared to the other, a thread lift can stretch the eyebrow to the level of the other one,” says Harnal. A thread lift starts at Rs 5,600.

But then those sceptical of these invasive or non-invasive cures can always turn to nature. Trikha who keeps the flag flying for haldi and uptan believes that the trick is to start cheating on age very early in life. Step 1: Know your skin type. Step 2: Always keep your skin well moisturised. Step 3: Once you hit 35, go for skin tightening packs like China clay, Fuller’s earth and egg white. Step 4: Mind your diet. Step 5: Guard against harsh UV rays.

Being polished and sculpted to perfection comes easy today. It’s quick and painless. And at the end of the day, you may just have controlled the ravages of time.

Photographs by Jagan Negi and Rupinder Sharma