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At 45. Linda Briggs, a British lawyer, wanted to get her own back on nature by buying herself a younger face.


Today, after 15 cosmetic procedures and "buckets of Botox and dermal fillers" . the 53-year-old woman, has become the UK's leading independent cosmetic surgery adviser.

Aware of the dangers of coming under the wrong knife, she tours the world in search of reputable surgeons and provides information on the best procedures in over 20 countries, to those contemplating cosmetic surgery abroad as 'nip and tuck tourism' hits the UK. Linda tells ARIADNE MASSA that Malta is next on her list


Walking down the stairs of the Fortina Spa Resort, Linda Briggs turns heads with her white blonde hair and trim physique.

Nothing gives her age away - the skin on her hands is smooth, her neck is firm and, with the exception of a few expression lines, her face defines her true age.

Nowadays, compliments follow her everywhere, though eight years ago, they were scarce, if non-existent, and the wolf whistles had stopped a long time ago.

"When I hit 45, I felt ugly and old. Working in a solicitors office, I had the same intelligence and experience, but I was seeing less and less clients. I was miserable about the way I was being treated," she says, sipping a cappuccino.

Unhappy with the way her ageing face failed to match her young body, she stepped up her fitness regime, cut out all the unhealthy food and bought a book on face exercises.

She spent hours distorting her face, and taking photos to mark her progress. But despite the difference, . she yearned for something more drastic

Before she hit her 40s, Linda was never concerned about aging, but as the years started leaving tracks on her skin, she suddenly felt that her face no longer matched her effervescent personality.

"If l tried to crack a joke, I failed to get a reaction; they were probably thinking; 'Oh look at that old woman trying to tell a joke' I am not a hard person, but my face looked stern."

Her decision was sealed during the wedding of her sister,. who is 10 years younger . "One of her friends, who I had never met before, was standing next to me and asked: 'Are you Debbie's mum?' I wanted to slap her. When I said I was her sister, she replied; ': Oh, are you a lot older?' I just wanted to end the conversation before I got extremely cross, or I would have embarrassed her," she recalls.

That was the final straw, and six months later, against the wishes of her husband Mike and her mother in law, who felt she should age gracefully, Linda went ahead and booked herself a neck and face lift.