Alicia Arden at L.A. Direct Magazine's Holiday Party

Make this cosmetic surgery calendar your indispensable guide to scheduling your surgery, guaranteeing your scars have faded and you're figure fixed and ready to flaunt in time for summer. JANUARY Breast Reduction or Mammoplasty Best for: Balancing out a top-heavy body shape and especially effective at relieving recurring back pain caused by the weight of disproportionately large breasts. Also popular with women looking to reshape their cleavage as the excision of excess skin and tissue also helps to correct slack, sagging breasts, creating a more pert silhouette. Why now: As it's not unusual for between one and three kilograms of breast tissue to be removed during the procedure, it's unsurprising that patients can expect up to six weeks of downtime before they can return to full, normal activity. The process involves repositioning the nipple so that it sits higher, removing the unwanted tissue, reshaping the remaining flesh and then removing any superfluous skin. Traditional techniques leave an anchor shaped scar that runs from the nipple, down the breast and under it, but new minimally invasive methods are gaining popularity. In the initial weeks following the operation expect to wear a surgical bra over gauze dressings, and for the first few days your breasts will be wrapped in an elastic bandage and may be fitted with a small suction drain to draw off blood and fluids. The scarring can take several months to fade and while bruising and swelling will disappear after three or four weeks, it can up to six months for your breasts to settle into their new shape, meaning it's best to act now if you're hoping to bare all in low-cut tops this summer. Where: Mr Dai Davies, Director of the Institute of Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery at the West London Clinic. Renowned for his vertical-scar breast-reduction method that leaves virtually no scar. Prices from Ł3044. Visit 55 Harley St, London or call 020 8735 6060.