It’s Income Tax time again.

This is just a reminder that the procedures at Toronto Cosmetic Clinic are all classified as “cosmetic surgery” and have been designed for aesthetic improvement. According to the Canada Revenue Agency, any costs related to undergoing treatments at TCC by a medical practitioner can be claimed as a medical expense when filing your income tax return (for line 330 or 331). This is valid for those of us in Ontario.

For a complete list of what can be claimed, please visit the Canada Revenue Agency website. However, because information available may be open to interpretation, we recommend that you contact a certified accountant or the Canada Revenue Agency directly to determine whether the procedure you’ve undergone can be claimed.

We all know Botox is popular. It is one of the most popular non-invasive cosmetic procedures at Toronto Cosmetic Clinic, and in fact, North America. But how popular you ask?

Well, apparently recent statistics show that from 2000 to 2007, there has been a 488% increase in the number of Botox injection procedures performed in the States. That’s 4.6 million Botox procedures in 2007, compared to under a million in 2000.

Unfortunately, there are no statistics available for Canada.

According to data compiled by The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, a world renown professional medical society with which Toronto Cosmetic Clinic’s primary physician Dr. Behnaz Yazdanfar is affliated, last year liposuction was the most popular cosmetic surgical procedure in the States. The treatment to remove unwanted subcutaneous fat took the top spot for the eighth consecutive year.

The data also shows that from 2002-2007, the number of men undergoing cosmetic surgical procedures has risen by 13.7%. However, women still make up a staggering 80% of the total number of people undergoing treatment for aesthetic improvement.

A Canadian physician has used the wrinkle-fighter Botox for an entirely new purpose - to save an infant from drowning on his own saliva.

The 10-week old Montreal infant, born with a genetic defect that hindered his ability to swallow (CHARGE syndrome), was treated with Botox to help him control the amount of saliva he produced. If left untreated, he would drown on the saliva that seeped into his lungs or suffer bouts of pneumonia.

The physician, Dr. Sam Daniel, injected the nerves controlling the child’s saliva glands with Botox. By doing so, the amount of saliva was reduced and the infant was not required to undergo a surgical tracheotomy to insert a breathing tube.

Although Botox injections have been used to treat excess salivation in other patients, this is monumental due to the age of the infant.

Cosmetic surgery is rising in popularity - amongst men.

Statistics show that there was a 17% increase in the number cosmetic surgical procedures men underwent last year, totalling to over a cool million in the US alone.

These stats come as no surprise to all of us here at Toronto Cosmetic Clinic. We’ve definitely noticed a higher number of men undergoing procedures, particularly in liposuction and to receive Botox injections. While women still outnumber men 10 to 1 according to the pollsters, we’re sure this ratio will change as men, especially metrosexuals, become more prevalent in society.

It was just last week that the Lunar New Year holidays were celebrated by the Chinese, Koreans and other members of East Asian countries. And how did many Koreans celebrate the New Year? According to the national newspaper, The Korea Times, many took the time off work to undergo cosmetic surgery.

Apparently, there was such a demand that cosmetic surgeons had to cut their own holidays short to answer to the number of people wanting to undergo cosmetic surgery.

One of the most popular cosmetic surgical procedures in Korea is eyelid surgery to create a fold in the upper eyelid. Also known as blepharoplasty, the creation of a “double” eyelid typically makes the eyes appear wider, and consequently, what is considered to be more attractive. Another popular procedure is rhinoplasty.

Many people undergo cosmetic surgical procedures over the holidays not only because they have time off, but also because they can have the procedures done secretly.