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Aging In Secret: Why Many Keep Their Cosmetic Procedures Under Wraps

SANTA MONICA (CBSLA.com) — People having cosmetic procedures done to defy aging, especially celebrities, is not uncommon.

But many, including Stacia of Santa Monica, seem to be reluctant to admit they are having work done to look younger.

She said she loved sharing the results, but not the information. "I started with Botox really young. It made me look so rested. So I just kept going back, and I've loved it."

But she admitted hiding the fact that she got Botox, even from her significant other. "At the time when I was in my early 30's, I was not going to tell anybody and especially not a boyfriend," she recalled.

What Stacia did was not unusual. Some even call it "Botox deception" or "cosmetic infidelity."

According to one doctor, up to a third of his patients opted to refrain from telling others about their procedures. But why?

"I felt like my friends wouldn't really understand why I was getting it. There's this preconceived notion that it's going to make your face frozen, and that it's for people who are much older," Oemig explained.

Dr. Ava Shamban, a Beverly Hills dermatologist, said there are many reasons why both men and women hide the fact they've been getting Botox treatments.

"It's like 'I do look perfect in that dress, you don't have to know that I'm wearing Spanx'," she explained. "It's the same principle. It's like 'I look perfect and fabulous, and it's just because I am perfect and fabulous, not that I've had anything done.'"

Shamban said men even have more reasons to keep their procedures under wraps because it is not as socially acceptable. "There are more and more men who are in their 50's and 60's and 70's who want to date. So they can't look like they're the woman's grandfather."

And it's not just Botox. Some people are hiding bigger procedures as well. Experts said some wait for their significant other to travel out of town. They pay cash or spread out their payments.

As for Stacia, she made Botox deception a thing of the past. She's no longer self-conscious over talking about her regular injections every three to four months.

"I don't like proactively tell guys that I was dating. But my girlfriends was like: 'You should do it. It's amazing'," she added.

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