Botox or Paris vacation?

Believe it or not, nearly 40 percent of women over 30 would rather get Botox injections than spend a week in Paris.

Arguably the world's most popular travel destination, the fabled the City of Light may have met its match in the leading cosmetic procedure in the U.S., which was performed more than 3 million times in 2005.

Even the temporary nature of Botox, which typically suppresses crow's feet, laugh lines and forehead furrows for six months, isn't enough to send 38.9 percent of women scrambling for their passports. As one survey participant remarked, "Sure, Paris is a romantic destination -- in fact, it's always been a dream of mine to go there. But I'd rather have six months of looking my absolute best. We're talking about a couple hundred dollars and six months of results, versus thousands of dollars for one week."

A survey of 175 women asked about their attitudes toward aging and cosmetic procedures. The survey, conducted by Great Neck-based anti-aging medical center MesoBoutique, found that 80 percent of women ages 30 and up want to look younger, but only 36.5 percent would consider having a facelift, while 55 percent are interested in nonsurgical procedures such as Botox and microdermabrasion.