Not only the most wonderful time of the year, Christmas is, for most people, the most sociable.

With work parties, family get-togethers and trips to the pub to see old schoolmates all on the cards, it’s understandable that the majority of us want to look our best.

So that means maybe a quick trim and slick of new eyeshadow, right?

Wrong.

Judging by recent trends, a new hair-do or some extra make-up is no longer going to cut it - if you really want to look good this party season, join the growing number of people getting cosmetic surgery for Christmas.

And one of the main reasons people are going under the knife (or needle or syringe)? Selfies.

After all, if you didn’t take a selfie at a social engagement, were you even really there?

Unlike normal photos taken from a distance, selfies raise the risk of the dreaded under-eye dark circles, particularly at winter parties with overhead lighting. “For selfies with overhead lighting and holiday parties, the undereye really gets those dark circles accentuated, so that's a big one,” Dr Dara Liotta, a facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon from New York explains. So the obvious solution is cosmetic surgery.

According to RealSelf’s community of board-certified experts, there’s an increasing number of people booking cosmetic procedures in the run-up to the festive season, both for non-invasive surgery like botox and more drastic operations like facelifts and breast enlargements.

In pictures: Top 10 countries for cosmetic surgery Show all 10 1 /10 In pictures: Top 10 countries for cosmetic surgery In pictures: Top 10 countries for cosmetic surgery USA The USA is number one on the list of countries popular for cosmetic surgery, with a total of 1,452,356 procedures made in 2013 In pictures: Top 10 countries for cosmetic surgery Brazil Brazil came in at number two on the list, with a total of 1,491,721 procedures in 2013 Getty Images In pictures: Top 10 countries for cosmetic surgery Mexico Mexico hosted 486,499 cosmetic surgery procedures last year, placing it at number three on the list GETTY IMAGES In pictures: Top 10 countries for cosmetic surgery Germany In 2013, Germany hosted 343,479 cosmetic procedures, placing it at number four on the list EPA In pictures: Top 10 countries for cosmetic surgery Spain Spain came in at number five on the list, with 213,297 cosmetic procedures in 2013 David Ramos/Getty Images In pictures: Top 10 countries for cosmetic surgery Colombia 291,954 people had cosmetic surgery in Columbia last year. EPA In pictures: Top 10 countries for cosmetic surgery Italy 182,680 cosmetic surgery procedures took place in Italy last year, putting it at number seven on the list In pictures: Top 10 countries for cosmetic surgery Venezuela Venezuela hosted 231,742 cosmetic surgery procedures in 2013, placing at number eight on the list wmf.org In pictures: Top 10 countries for cosmetic surgery Argentina 120,652 people had cosmetic surgery in Argentina last year In pictures: Top 10 countries for cosmetic surgery Iran At the bottom of the list is Iran, with 118,079 cosmetic procedures performed in 2013 Getty Images

Dr. Liotta has seen a particular rush for injectables before the Christmas parties get under way - that’s to say botox, under-eye and cheek fillers, and injection rhinoplasties.

Unlike a nose-job, Dr. Liotta can’t actually make a nose smaller by carrying out an injection rhinoplasty, however she can make light hit it in a more flattering way. If you have a bump in your nose, for example, Dr. Liotta can add filler above and below to make the line subtly smoother.

It’s just like having permanently contoured make-up on, apparently.

What’s more, as the stigma attached to cosmetic surgery has faded, more people are giving procedures as presents.

“Plastic surgery is the new diamond,” Dr. Liotta told Bravo.