An increasingly diverse group of people will undergo cosmetic procedures in 2009, with the use of cosmetic fillers continuing to increase throughout the New Year.

That is the prediction of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), ahead of the start of 2009.

The society believes that people who would never have considered treatment before are increasingly likely to undergo some form of cosmetic enhancement.

"Aesthetic medicine has seen a dramatic increase in the diversity of the patients treated over the past decade and this trend is expected to continue to grow stronger than ever, with applications that cater to all people," ASAPS said in a statement of its predictions.

"The appeal of both aesthetic surgery and cosmetic medicine will continue to spread across the spectrum of our population, as plastic surgeons further tailor treatments to meet the sometimes unique needs of that expanding population."

Among other predictions made were that Reloxin could soon emerge as a rival to the hugely-popular Botox and that obesity-related procedures would also increase.

In other news, doctors in Ohio have successfully carried out an 80 per cent face transplant on a trauma patient, showing just how far cosmetic surgery has come.