Clinics throughout Auckland say business is booming as an increasing number of middle-aged brides-to- be spend up to $300 a time for treatments to have fat injected into their fingers and hands to make them look fuller and younger.
They are also having unsightly marks removed by laser procedures.
Dr Pier Marzinotto, a cosmetic specialist at at the Skin Institute in Auckland, said many requests were from women preparing for their wedding day.
"Botox has become part of the wedding package," he told the Herald on Sunday.
"There has been a 250 per cent increase in people using this treatment worldwide and a staggering number of those are using it for their wedding day."
A large number of people were getting fillers in their hands to get rid of the skeleton look that comes with old age.
Laser treatment was also used to erase pigmentation on the hands, caused by sun exposure.
The founder of Ever Young, Stacey Power, said hand treatments cost $250 to $300 and brides weren't the only ones keen to have a touch-up before the big day.
"We have had quite a few mothers of the bride coming in to get work done before the wedding day. Thirty-year-olds through to 50-year-olds are the biggest age group we treat."
The clinic manager at The Face Place in central Auckland, Dee Barnes, said many middle-aged women seeking pre-wedding hand and face treatment left it too late.
"We especially ask first timers to come a month or so in advance so we can ensure the treatment is working before the wedding day."
An increasing number of middle-aged Kiwi men and women are also turning to cosmetic surgery and treatments, hoping it will help them compete with younger jobseekers.
Statistics show over-50s are likely to stay out of work longer than younger people.
"About 60 per cent of my clients are women in that age group," Auckland-based Dr Zac Moaveni said. "Some older women often seek treatments to boost their confidence and believe this helps them perform better in the workplace and in the job market."
But Auckland University psychology lecturer Annette Henderson believes older women seeking work would be better off concentrating on their skills and experience.
"The older generation might find it more beneficial to sell themselves on qualities such as stickability, maturity and reliability," she said.
"These should be more attractive to employers than simply how a person looks or what age they are."
- By Russell Blackstock of the Herald on Sunday
