Recent data indicates that more and more Americans approve of cosmetic plastic surgery. According to the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), 53 percent of women and 49 percent of men say they approve of cosmetic surgery, and 67 percent of respondents (regardless of gender) say that they would not be embarrassed if friends or family members knew about a cosmetic surgery procedure they had done.

However, a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Toronto has revealed that women are often judgmental about other women who undergo anti-aging procedures.

The study, which is published in The Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, set out to see how younger and older adults view people who use anti-aging products such as face creams, sunscreen and Botox as well as those who have cosmetic surgeries such as brow lifts.

According to WebMD, female study participants read fictional stories about middle-aged women and women in their 60s who had used some sort of anti-aging product and then had to rate how vain they felt the characters were.

Researchers said that overall people looked more favorably upon those who used less invasive anti-aging methods, such as creams, than those who undergo non-surgical and surgical cosmetic procedures.

They also found that younger women (with an average age of 19) were less accepting than those in their 70s of those who have had a plastic surgery procedure. Both age groups also viewed 40-somethings who pursued anti-aging procedures as more vain than those in their 60s.

"These results suggest that despite the rapid growth of the anti-aging industry, age concealment has not yet become universally accepted," researcher Dr. Alison Chasteen told WebMD.

According to the Globe and Mail, the study revealed that using anti-aging methods such as Botox are considered more acceptable for those over the age of 50. However, perception does not always align with reality. ASAPS reports that patients between the ages of 35 to 50 undergo the majority of Botox and other botulinum toxin type A injections, with 48.8 percent of the total procedures performed in 2010 done on patients in this age group who are attempting to slow down the aging process. Those aged between 51 to 64 only comprised 29.3 percent of the total.

Non-surgical cosmetic procedures remain a wildly popular method for those who want to enhance their appearance by reducing fine lines and wrinkles, improving texture and color and maintaining volume on the face. Lower risk, quicker recovery and lower costs help patients make subtle changes to their appearance.

As always, it is important to choose a plastic surgeon that has been certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery when undergoing any non-surgical or surgical cosmetic procedure.