BOSTON -- The group of people having cosmetic surgery is becoming more diverse as more and more people look for ways to turn back the hands of time.

NewsCenter 5's Heather Unruh reported Friday that 1.3 million procedures were performed on patients of various ethnicities last year -- an increase of 44 percent since 2004. The challenge for plastic surgeons is creating a younger appearance without altering that ethnic look.

Appearance is important to Mei Ling Hester -- a hairdresser on Newbury Street -- but she said that when she looks at her eyes, they appear tired.

"We all spend money working out and eating healthy, and I think we need to take care of our face too," Hester said.

She spoke with Dr. Min Ahn about a surgery that would better define her eyelids. About half of Asian women are born without eyelid creases, and even those who do have them, like Hester, often lose the crease as they age.

"We're trying to create a rejuvenated look that looks natural. We're not trying to create a westernized look," Ahn said.

About 25 percent of Ahn's practice involves non-white patients. The biggest trend is Asian eyelid surgery, which may have been sparked by the popularity of Korean soap opera actresses who have fuller eyelids.

But the procedure is tricky. It involves placing stitches to create a crease, and doctors must be sensitive to reshaping the lid without getting rid of the Asian appearance.

"We don't want to create an eyelid crease that is too high -- that is more typical in a Caucasian or western individual," Ahn said. "We don't want to remove all of the extra skin that is possible to remove, because it is natural for an Asian eyelid to have a little bit of hooding, a little bit of extra skin."

The procedure costs between $2,000 and $3,000. The result is instant and permanent. Hester envisions a livelier, alert appearance.

"I hope in the morning, I wake up and look nice and fresh for my clients," she said.

RESOURCES:

Aesthetic Wellness Center