Cosmetic surgery ‘a 50-year-old practice’

Today’s cosmetic surgery is the "fourth generation" of plastic surgery, according to one surgeon.

Dr Jeffrey Meilman, a surgeon at Buffalo Plastic Surgery in Williamsville, New York, described to the Post-Journal how the surgery has advanced since its initial use in the first world war.

Although procedures have advanced somewhat since the reconstructive surgery of war veterans, he explained that the first treatments were "mini-versions" of the facelifts and nosejobs that are available today

Dr Meilman said: "Standard procedures such as facelifts, rhinoplasty, tummy tucks and breast augmentation have all been around for 50 years or more so they are not experimental procedures anymore. They should have standard results."

Plastic surgery will increase in popularity in the future, he added, claiming that as technology advances and the number of available procedures increase, so will the number of people going under the knife.

Although there is no factual evidence to support the claim, many believe plastic surgery dates back as far as the eighth century BC.