Men and women both are nipping out for "lunch-time facelifts" in a bid to beat the ageing process.

Cosmetic physicians - in SA and elsewhere - are seeing a growing trend in less expensive non-invasive surgery among men and women who want to look and feel younger.

Local doctors Anushka Reddy and Marc Roscher were among local and international cosmetic medicine experts who spoke at the inaugural Cosmedica congress in Durban yesterday.

The two-day event focused on new trends and therapies in cosmetic surgery as well as safe practice. Patients have died at the hands of inexperienced doctors.

Reddy, who owns a cosmetic surgery clinic in Johannesburg, said non-surgical face treatments were in demand.

"Lip augmentation procedures, such as the 'Paris [Hilton] lip', and cheek enhancement treatments, are in demand. This is largely fuelled by celebrities like Angelina Jolie and Kate Moss," Reddy said.

Shirin Ismail, who heads a mining company, has had eye rejuvenation done.

"When I have to get into my mining gear and go into the mine, it's an absolute pleasure, just knowing that in this male-dominated environment I look and feel fabulous on the job - and the secret is in a needle," Ismail said.

But cosmetic work is not confined to women only - men are also eager for a fresh look.

"They have procedures done during the lunch hour - the lunch-time lift - and return to their daily activities almost immediately," Reddy said.

Roscher, head of a clinic in Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal, said: "Women are still very much the front-runners when it comes to having aesthetic treatments. However, men are rapidly catching up.

"Men want to improve their appearance . this is driven by celebs like David Beckham, who is considered the true metrosexual male."

A male patient, who did not want to be named, said his deep frown bothered him until he had botox treatments.

"People would constantly comment that I looked angry all the time. After a few botox treatments, the line is almost invisible," he said.

Reddy said anecdotal evidence suggested that there was growth in non-invasive cosmetic procedures in South Africa.

"[Cosmetic surgery in] South Africa is marginally cheaper than [in] the UK or US.

"For example, a botox treatment for a frown can cost between R1200 and R1800, depending on the size of the muscle.

"A similar treatment in the UK would cost the equivalent of R2000 to R2500."