Cosmetic procedures have more than doubled in the past decade - more than 14 million are performed a year in the U.S.. So here’s what’s predicted for plastic surgery in 2012.

To start, cosmetic injections will get even bigger. We’re talking about stuff like Botox – which is the number one plastic surgery procedure of all time, with over 5 million treatments performed last year. There are two types of injectables – neurotoxins, like Botox, which freeze muscle movement. And fillers, which plump up lines. There will be more of both that get FDA approval this year, and because there will be more products, everything will get cheaper.

Also in the news for plastic surgery: NON-surgical fat reduction will skyrocket. The holy grail of plastic surgery is removal of fat without needles, surgery or pain – and that’s what’s happening. The two that are popular right now are Zeltiq and Zerona. One freezes the fat under the skin. The other uses a laser to liquefy fat – then the fat gets eliminated by the body after a few months. But there are two new ones coming: Lipo-sonix and Ultrashape. They use ultrasound waves to blast away fat cells.

And another prediction for plastic surgery in 2012: We’ll hear more nightmare stories about phony plastic surgeons. The experts call cosmetic surgery “the Wild West” of medicine – with rogue doctors performing procedures they’re not trained to perform – like dentists doing liposuction. Basically, some doctors will take a few courses in plastic surgery and re-open their practice as a plastic surgery clinic. So expect to see more horror stories about botched surgeries performed on unsuspecting patients. If you want to make sure your doctor is board certified in plastic surgery, go to plastic surgery dot org.