Like many towns in Ireland, Westport in Co. Mayo was struggling economically, but an unlikely saviour has come forward in the form of cosmetic enhancements, more specifically, the production of Botox. Allergan – manufacturers of the anti-aging drug – first began trading in 1977, before Botox became so widely used, now it is fighting back against the recession and expanding throughout the west of Ireland.

Councillor Sean Staunton spoke to the Irish Times, explaining that the town did not have high hopes for the company when it initially arrived, and he said that Westport was ‘like a lot of towns on the west coast of Ireland, [it] was on its knees.’

The Botox produced by Allergan is used for muscle treatments as well as for facial lines and wrinkles, and the company are looking to expand business over the next five years, building their workforce by over a thousand people. The new research and development centre will also bring more jobs to the local area, to add to the thousands of people they are keeping in work with the production plant, the beauty salons, and the ten hotels situated in the town. Tourism is expected to boom in the coming years also, as holidaymakers travel to the coast for some pampering and relaxation.

Local hotel owner Joe Corcoran credits the Botox company with keeping the town alive; ‘There have only been two construction projects here in the last three years,’ he said, ‘a school and the Lidl supermarket, so these jobs will be very welcome.’

Following the PIP breast implants scandal, the Health Secretary has announced a review of all cosmetic procedures, including dermal fillers and breast enhancements. The review will concentrate on areas of quality and safety within the market, and how it can be improved. Regulation is also a serious issue, as Botox injections and facial fillers are not regulated, which means they can be administered by unqualified personnel in unsafe environments.

‘We want to make a proactive opportunity to look at safety.’ Health Secretary Andrew Lansley told Sky News today, adding that ‘The vast majority of practitioners in the cosmetic industry are professional and well skilled – but I’m concerned that the sector as a whole does not have the systems for monitoring the results for patients and alerting us to possible problems.’

Well over a million non-surgical procedures were carried out in Britain last year, and the industry is expected to swell to a £3bn worth before long, as people strive to look younger and more like their favourite celebrities. However, the fear is that there are so many people offering anti-aging fillers without adequate training, that this could be a similar story to the PIP calamity. Watchdog chief Sally Taber spoke to The Daily Star about the lack of restriction on filler injections, saying ‘Unless we get this sorted out, dermal fillers will be the next disaster.’

Actress Cameron Diaz has set the rumour mill going with an appearance at Paris Couture Fashion Week, where the 39-year-old displayed a suspiciously smooth complexion to waiting photographers. Although she might always have looked younger than her actual age, it seems that the Charlie’s Angels star has managed to turn back the clock, with a few age-defying cosmetic procedures.

Cameron’s forehead was shiny and wrinkle free as she smiled for the public at the event this week, and it has been suggested by industry professionals, that the actress has had either Botox injections or a chemical peel, to maintain her youthful look. Plastic surgeon Dr Anthony Youn spoke to the Daily Mail, and commented that Cameron’s face seemed ‘very unusual’, he added that ‘Her forehead is excessively smooth, a possible consequence of overdone Botox injections. Her face also looks extremely shiny.’

He did, however, say that he believed the cosmetic work had gone no further than that; ‘I do not believe she’s had a facelift,’ Dr Youn said, and then went on to give Ms Diaz some advice about her polished face; ‘I recommend that she get some mattifying gel as soon as possible to calm it down.’

Cameron also hit the headlines recently when she was photographed on the beach in a bikini, the internet was instantly ablaze with rumours that the star – who turns forty in August – had undergone a breast augmentation.

From Lulu and Kylie, to Madonna, and even the French first lady Carla Bruni, there are plenty of celebrities who have taken advantage of cosmetic enhancements, but they might not be too thrilled with the results once they find out the Daily Mail has rather unceremoniously dubbed them the ‘Celebrity Cat Club’, due to the changes in their appearance.

Over-use of fillers and Botox can dramatically alter the face, and give a ‘pillowy’ look to the chin and cheeks, and eventually turning the eyes up to give a cat-like expression. Harley Street plastic surgeon, Dirk Kremer, said that too many fillers were to blame for the ‘pillow face’, whilst ‘cat face’ is a result of ‘having too much of everything – all done badly.’ He went on to add; ‘Those soaring eyebrows occur when too much Botox is given, especially in the centre of the forehead.’

When used correctly, Botox and dermal fillers are a great way to keep unsightly lines at bay, but over-use can give the face ‘a triangular look’ according to Dr Kremer, which creates a youthful appearance, when used appropriately, ‘but in excess, it just adds to the feline quality.’ He also commented that the celebrity ego was to blame for over-indulgence, saying ‘Fillers, in moderation, can be amazingly rejuvenating. Celebrities try them and get a lot of compliments, so they think ‘Why not put in more and look even better?’

Dynasty legend Joan Collins has shown up on our TV’s again as the face of Snickers, alongside her former co-star Stephanie Beacham, and the actress is drumming up some publicity for the advertising campaign, by taking a pop at the badly-dressed people of Britain and those who are partial to a bit of Botox now and again.

‘I feel people don’t care about the way they present themselves,’ the 78-year-old said, adding that ‘dressing well is a fun thing to do.’ Joan, who is currently on her fifth husband, imagined that ‘it doesn’t cost a lot of money’ to afford decent clothes, and compared an expensive casual outfit of jeans, trainers and an anorak, to a ‘nice suit from Zara or Marks & Spencer.’ She didn’t specify where she got her figures from on this topic.

The self-confessed ‘Diva’ went on to talk about her dislike of cosmetic surgery, describing Botox rather dramatically as ‘poison’, and saying ‘with facelifts, I’ve seen some good ones and bad ones, but having plastic surgery in your 20’s is sad and dangerous.’ Ms Collins attributes her own youthful complexion to a strictly regimented routine, one that she has been sticking to for ‘400 years!’ she assured The Daily Mail today. ‘I never go to bed without taking off my make-up and applying night cream.’ She revealed, although, there are probably those in the entertainment industry that remain sceptical about the Dynasty stars claims.

Irish singer, Sharon Corr, has come under fire as she prepares for an appearance on new talent show The Voice; beautician and social climber Danielle Meagher, has said that the 41-year-old TV mentor should consider minor cosmetic surgery to keep herself looking young and fresh-faced. Could it be a coincidence that 31-year-old Danielle, who is often referred to as Dr Botox among her clients, is currently filming the reality show Southside Housewives? Perhaps the socialite is looking to garner some publicity for the project.

‘Gosh,’ Danielle commented on her Facebook page, ‘Sharon Corr in great shape body-wise, but… she has lost volume in her face and will certainly need some Juvederm (dermal filler) to replace lost volume and also Botox for her forehead.’

Ms Meagher later removed the post after some backlash from fans of The Voice, and admitted that she shouldn’t have put it up, but didn’t seem anxious to avoid putting her foot in it further, adding ‘I was surprised that the panel of The Voice hadn’t had a little bit more ‘maintenance’ work.’ She then went on to compare the judges to those on The X Factor, whom she felt were better ‘maintained.’ It shouldn’t come as a shock to readers that ‘Dr Botox’ is well-known among her fellow ‘housewives’, and runs her own clinic that provides lip-fillers and Botox for Irelands up-coming socialites and aspiring TV stars.

Women in the public eye are under the constant scrutiny of the press, and it’s often shocking what lengths they will go to, in order to remain youthful and appealing, but it might surprise you to learn that men can be just as insecure about their looks. Simon Cowell recently admitted to experimenting with dermal fillers, and David Hasselhoff has made no secret of his cosmetic enhancements, but now it seems that men who aren’t famous are taking advantage of anti-aging treatments as well.

‘Bro-tox’, as it has been dubbed in America, refers to men of all ages undergoing Botox treatment, and it’s really taking off; over 300,000 men in the USA had filler injections last year, and the trend shows no signs of slowing down. A recent feature on Good Morning America put a group of ordinary working men in the spotlight, and the results were impressive.

38-year-old Marc, from Detroit, was shocked when his wife presented him with a gift voucher for Botox at Christmas, but was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. Another participant, Johnny Markoudakis, was also thrilled with how he looked after undergoing treatment, saying ‘I love it. It’s only been a week, but people are telling me I look less stressed.’

Plastic surgeon Dr Anthony Griffin explained that the pressure to appear younger and fitter wasn’t something just women experienced; ‘It’s still a competition in our society for looks and, you know, better-looking men get paid more, and they get prettier girls.’

Famous as a top supermodel in the eighties and nineties, you would think Cindy Crawford isn’t someone who has to worry about looking beautiful, but age catches up to everyone eventually, and the 45-year-old has often spoke about her love of cosmetic enhancement. The model recently stepped out with husband Rande to a basketball game in LA, with clear signs of Botox and dermal fillers.

Cindy’s cheekbones appear to have defied the years, instead of sinking and becoming flatter, they have beaten gravity and look fuller than ever. Cosmetic surgeon Nick Percival spoke to MailOnline and commented that ‘She has very well-defined cheekbones, which could suggest she has had some injectables to highlight these, and there appears to be no lines between her eyebrows, which could suggest she has had Botox in this area.’

There’s no denying that Ms Crawford looks good for her age, but there are obvious changes in her facial structure that are difficult to ignore. LA dermatologist Dr Behnam pointed out that she has the ‘triangle of beauty’, a facial alignment and proportion that is associated with youth, but he added that ‘she’s losing that triangle. It gives her that look of not being young anymore. Because that’s how we perceive youth, the triangle of beauty.’ However, not wanting to knock Cindy’s appearance, Dr Behnam added that ‘she still looks good for someone her age.’

Botox and liposuction are generally considered a cosmetic treatment for people wanting to look younger, but TV personality Sarah Burge has angered parents all over the country by presenting her seven-year-old daughter Poppy with a £7,000 plastic surgery voucher for Christmas. The overbearing mother is determined that her daughter is going to be famous when she grows up, and there’s no way she’s going to be doing it au natural.

‘I’m an associate of plastic surgery companies,’ said the 51-year-old, who became known as the ‘Human Barbie’ after spending over £500,000 on various surgical operations, as well as Botox injections and endless amounts of make-up. Ms Burge went on to say that she ‘decided that by taking advantage of my trade I would invest in my children’s future, with gifts of surgery vouchers.’

The mother of three seems to be instilling in her daughters that how you look is the most important thing in the world, a fact that was not missed by the UK media when they reported last year that she had been injecting her teenage daughter Hannah with Botox. The erotic novelist and former lap dancer considers herself a ‘TV star’ as well as ‘an international public figure’ but remains oblivious to the damage she is doing, saying ‘There has  been a ridiculous amount of media hype and I want it to end.’

When appropriately used, dermal fillers and Botox can turn back the clock and get rid of unsightly wrinkles, but clearly skin expert Dr Ben Behnam is in no mood to sing its praises, after he recently launched a scathing attack on France’s First Lady Carla Bruni for her over-indulgence in the treatment.

‘She has had way too much done’ Dr Behnam told The Daily Mail, ‘That’s why she has the surprised look on her face and she looks like a chipmunk.’ But the LA dermatologist didn’t stop there, he went on to say that the 44-year-old appeared to have had a lateral brow lift and dermal fillers injected into her cheeks to reduce wrinkles. ‘The tiny shadows you can just see beneath her nose were probably caused by injectable fillers to get rid of nose-to-mouth lines.’ He said.

The former supermodel is famed for her good looks and flawless skin, but according to Dr Behnam she is in danger of falling into the trap of looking like every other Botox-ed celebrity. ‘A lot of celebrities these days look the same’, he said, before giving Carla and her famous friends some advice on how to maintain a smooth complexion, without overdoing it. ‘What they should do is just do a little bit so it just makes them look like a younger version of themselves, rather than a 50-year-old trying to look 25.’