Balding, wrinkling, stooping? Don’t worry. From elevated cheeks to angulated teeth, a new breed of experts is outwitting the inevitable. Polly Vernon in London reports

THE cosmetic surgeon Laurence Kirwan, UK Botox pioneer and architect of some of the world’s most successful face-lifts, knows a great deal about the aesthetics of ageing. "There’s this period of time which we call a youth corridor," he says, and he almost makes it sound charming. "It’s between 35 and 45, classically, and that’s when you begin to see signs of ageing, but you’re not ready for, or don’t need surgery. Injectables — Botox, Nu-Fill, Restalyne — are perfect for that group of people."