While Australian spending on cosmetic surgeries is going up, the average age of Aussies who go for such medical procedures is going down from their early- to mid-30s.

The survey by the Cosmetic Physicians Society of Australian (CPSA) of almost 600 people found that Aussies spend in 2011 $644.7 million to look beautiful and trim. It represents a 15 per cent hike the past 12 months.

The money was spent on treatments and procedures such as anti-wrinkle treatments, hair removal and skin smoothing treatments including laser and IPL. Among Aussie males, the most popular treatments are those that stop hair loss.

Dr Gabrielle Caswell, president of the CPSA, said the rise in cosmetic procedure spending was because of new technologies and less invasive treatments. She explained the younger average age that Aussies start seeking cosmetic treatments to Aussies' high level of sun damage due to their love of going to the beach.

"Fifty is the new 40 and cosmetic medicine is becoming far more common. People are living longer and working longer, too. I don't believe they seek treatment to compete with younger generations; it's more about how they present themselves. They feel young on the inside and want this to be reflected in their appearance," The Herald Sun quoted Ms Caswell.

A reason behind the growing popularity of undergoing cosmetic procedures among Australians is the number of celebrities who underwent these treatments such as Jennifer Hawkins and Elle Macpherson. However, Aussies are aware that some celebrities' cosmetic procedures were done poorly, citing the cases of Jocelyn Wildenstein, Melanie Griffith, Mickey Rourke and Sophie Monk.

It is the fifth straight year that Australian spending on non-surgical cosmetic treatments continued to rise. From 2008 to 2012, the amount doubled from $300 million to $644.7 million.

Ms Caswell cautioned Australians who are mulling on undergoing cosmetic procedures to check the qualification of their doctor. She issued the reminder in view of reports of the availability of cheaper injectable substances online used by some Australians to perform do-it-yourself facelifts which resulted in disasters.

Australian Medical Association President Steve Hambleton expressed concern over the increase in the number of healthy patients who receive Botox treatments.

"People need to realise you can have rare adverse affects like heart attacks and sometimes even fatal outcomes," he stressed.