Cityfile: New York's Most Notable and Influential

It's no surprise to hear that plastic surgeons are hurting in this economy: A survey by the American Society for Aesthetic Surgery shows that cosmetic surgeries are down 15 percent over the past year. But don't worry, it's not like society is suddenly becoming less shallow and image obsessed. It turns out that more young people are getting stuff done than ever before, and boob jobs and liposuction are the most popular procedures. And plenty of new stuff is on the horizon, too, like the new fat-busting machine that performs a very creepy-sounding procedure called "cryolipolysis." More

This is probably going to come as a complete surprise, but some people are now suggesting that Madonna may have actually had a little work in the weeks leading up to the Academy Awards last Sunday. Shocking, isn't it? Next thing you know she's going to start running around town with a 22-year-old Brazilian model or something! More

Celeb Surgeon Sued | Plastic surgeon Cap Lesesne is facing a nasty lawsuit from a former patient. The doctor who once dated Katie Couric, reportedly worked on Hillary Clinton, and authored 2005's Confessions of a Park Avenue Plastic Surgeon, has been accused by a British woman of bungling her nose job, facelift, and cheek-implant procedure, and for removing one of her breast implants "against her will," whatever that means. [NYDN, NYP]

Was Tinsley Mortimer's nearly two-month absence from the social scene because of her reported split with husband Topper, or because she took some time off for a touch up? We have no idea, but a tipster seems pretty convinced: "It's a classic move. The change in hair/skin is intended to distract you from the fact she had work done. Surprised you guys missed that." What can we say? Our in-house plastic surgeon has been on vacation this week. You can judge for yourself above. (The photo on the left is from November; the one on the right is from Wednesday night.) And naturally you can email us if you've know more, or you have particularly strong feelings on the subject.

In 1963, when Gloria Steinem posed as a Playboy bunny for a magazine piece, we're sure her dearest hope was that she'd pave the way for young female reporters to mount shocking exposés on contemporary hot button issues with the help of their decent bods. What she probably didn't predict was that those exposés would, nine times out of ten, involve going undercover at cosmetic surgery consultations. Melanie Berliet, who last year performed a slightly more original bit of girly stunt journalism when she worked as a naked sushi model, is the latest in a long line to submit her face and body to the scrutiny of plastic surgeons for our edification. As you'll be less than amazed to hear, the doctors recommended she have stuff done!More

Carolyn Gusoff covered the Long Island beat for WNBC until the station let her go in December as part of a round of budget cuts. It's been a rocky transition for the vapid TV reporter—or so she says in a Newsday opinion piece—as she details the "harrowing and debasing ordeal" involved in filing for unemployment, and the challenge of paying for gas, parking and phone bills when you don't have any income coming in. Even tougher? Just looking for a job is more expensive than keeping one, since job interviews require that her nails "be perfect" and her hair has to be coiffed just right. It's a good thing she won't have to worry about paying out of pocket to keep up with her plastic surgery habit. Her husband—as she neglects to point out amid all the worries of mounting phone and cable bills—is prominent plastic surgeon Jon Turk.

Eyebrows Raised by Botox Danger Story | Casting even more doubt on whether Nicole Kidman actually incubated her baby for nine months, doctors in Australia are warning that Botox can cause birth defects after it emerged that the mother of a child born deaf and blind had used Dysport, a Botox competitor also made of botulinum toxin, in her first month of pregnancy. Okay, so choosing between a smooth forehead and the joy of bringing new life into the world is a tough decision, but no one ever said being a woman was easy. Now, who's going to break the news to Mary Rambin? [SMH]

Boob Scoop | If you've been wondering about Alexis Stewart's newly perky boobs—and who hasn't, really?—and you've been trying to figure out who was responsible for the handiwork, you're in luck: Page Six reports the credit goes to plastic surgeon Robert Freund, a disciple of Sherrell Aston and Dan Baker. Now if only we could get Martha to reveal who's responsible for her nips and tucks, too. [Page Six]

• Despite the rumors in recent weeks, Olivier Theyskens says he's staying at Nina Ricci. [WWD]
• Alexander Wang's new mentor is Diane von Furstenberg. [Vogue UK]
• More designers are looking to hold their Fashion Week shows off-site to save cash. [WWD]
• A gallery of celeb hairdos and don'ts. [Guardian]
• Pixie Geldof is following in her big sister's footsteps: She'll be modeling for Agent Provocateur. [Fashionista]
• Yet another depressing article about the state of retail. [NYT]
• Here's a tragic byproduct of the tough economic times in which we now find ourselves: It's getting harder to get approved for boob-job loans! [NYM]

Like something dreamt up in a joyful vision of the future along with safe tanning, hair that grows blonde out of your head, and Sara Lee chocolate layer cake with negative calories, the Ultrashape machine apparently shrinks the flab on your body without any cutting, pain, or downtime. "It actually breaks down the fat cell and gets rid of the unwanted fat much like liposuction does," says Canadian plastic surgeon Ari Benchetrit. The bad news is it's still in clinical trials in the U.S., so even if you've never felt strongly enough about an issue to call your senator before, now might be the time. If the FDA hurries up and gives it its seal of approval, it might be just the kind of morale boost our country needs right now.

Recession Squeezes Silicone Spending | If you see fewer frightening cleavages on show this spring, now you'll know why: Fewer New York women are accessorizing their looks with plastic D-cups as they choose to spend money on items more essential than $10,000 breast implants, according to Manhattan plastic surgeons who are complaining about a drop in business. "If the procedure is purely esthetic, it's definitely down," says one doctor. [NYDN]

• Whitney Port explains why she named her new clothing line "Whitney Eve" (it's complicated), and explains why it is that the world really needs another celebrity clothing line. [Nylon]
• The year's best and worst windows, fashion PR stunts, pop-up shops and more. [Racked]
• More on the messy meltdown at Kira Plastinina. [Shophound]
• The recession may be putting a damper on plastic surgery, but injectables like Botox remain as popular as ever. [WSJ]
• It's well worth braving the cold weather and crowds: Panicked retailers "are practically giving the goods away with last-minute sales in a desperate bid to save the so-far-disastrous season from catastrophe." [NYP]More

As startling as this may sound, when people are worried about whether or not they'll be able to keep paying their mortgages, they generally don't rush to the cosmetic surgeon to have their eyebags removed or their boobs inflated. Oh, but don't just take the New York Times' word for it: J. Kevin Thompson, a psychology professor at the University of South Florida, no less, confirms that it "would be a rational decision to put the safety of your home first." More

The Recession's Tiniest Victims | You're having difficulty making ends meet in these challenging economic times. You've got bills to pay. And you're not sure how you're going to come up with the cash to, say, go on vacation or have that plastic surgery procedure you've been thinking about. What to do? Maybe you'll find some inspiration in the story of Sonia Ringoir: The 31-year-old Belgian woman was so determined to have liposuction, she sold off her newborn twins for $15,000. [Times UK]

It used to be "live fast, die young, and have a beautiful corpse." But now you can dispense with the first two and keep the third thanks to the skillful work of morticians, who are increasingly being asked to perform cosmetic enhancements on corpses. God forbid your loved ones' final memory is of bags, lines and wrinkles! "We'll inject tissue fillers into the lips, the nose, the cheeks, above the eyebrows, the chin, and the hands," promises funeral home owner John Vigliante. "It's the same concept as Botox and dermal filler." But if someone has maintained the illusion in life that her perky double-Ds are nature's own creation, then come time for cremation, the jig is up. According to an LA crematorium manager: "Silicone implants will explode. They're like little bombs."