FACELIFTS, fillers and Botox were once the preserve of a youth-obsessed Hollywood, but as attitudes to ageing change more and more Scots are choosing cosmetic surgery to turn back the clock.

And it seems energetic lifestyles and higher divorce rates are fuelling demand for a nip and tuck among pensioners in Scotland.

Ken Stewart, a cosmetic surgeon at the Spire Murrayfield hospital in Edinburgh, said they were now busier than ever after seeing demand dip during the recession.

“It’s probably at least one and a half to two times as busy as when I started in 2002,” said Mr Stewart.

“More and more men are coming for facelifts too. The ratio probably used to be about nine to one, female to male, but now it’s probably five to one in terms of the female to male ratio for facelifts.

“It’s more affordable, more acceptable – even though most people probably keep it quiet from all but their closest friends. Some of the procedures like facelifts can be done using ultrasonic scalpels rather than a traditional scalpel which reduced the amount of swelling.

“Sometimes, with people living longer, they might have lost their partner and have a new younger partner, so there are people who want a smaller nose or less prominent ears – for example if they have thinning hair and their ears are sticking through.

“It’s not uncommon for people with a younger partner or trying to find a new partner to decide that they want to get the thing fixed that’s been bugging them for 60 years. I think the oldest patient I had in for ear correction was a 70-year-old.”