Mumbai, Dec 17 ; Komal Wanvari, a 45-year-old Mumbai housewife, had the usual symptoms of age creeping in early in life, as it is for many urban people.

"I used to get fatigued easily, could not climb three floors without feeling breathless, my knees would be very painful, I gained weight in leaps and bounds, began losing my hair and all interest in life," Komal said.

In August, a chance encounter landed her in the clinic of a US-returned medico Deepak Chaturvedi, who gently suggested that she try an anti-aging therapy.

Five months later and at the fag end of her treatment, Komal is a changed personality.

She lost 12 kg, climbs seven floors thrice daily effortlessly, is more energetic and highly disciplined in life and has regained her hair and her sagging morale too.

"My husband and two children have marvelled at the 'new, radiant me'. My relatives and friends are all amazed by the results after five months. Though expensive, I feel it was completely worth," Komal told IANS with a smile.

Ever wondered why film stars, celebrities, some politicians and others always appear glowing, young and fresh? Their secret too could be anti-aging therapy.

It has now come to Mumbai - and anxious celebs with mega-bucks to spare are already making a beeline to look young, charming and attractive, whatever may be their calendar age.

The trend has been set by the city's only exclusive anti-aging consultant Chaturvedi, who prefers to call himself "33 years young". He has over 350 regular clients, some of whom refer to him as the "harbinger of youth".

The treatment involves creams, medicines and injections - both Indian and imported - depending on the patients' individual requirements.

"After the initial tests and consultations, the actual treatment begins for as low as Rs. 10,000 a month. Then, as per the patient's response, it proceeds further," Chaturvedi said.

Qualified in medicine and specialised in anti-aging therapies from the US, Chaturvedi got an opportunity in that country to observe the works of renowned personalities in the field.

"Usually, in India, most anti-aging recommendations are limited to losing weight and wrinkles. I offer a holistic approach in which weight loss and wrinkles are just one part of the whole treatment with results that stay for long," Chaturvedi explained.

It's an increasing trend that finds many takers.

According to Lenny Da Costa, a Goa-based medico who also specialises in anti-aging treatments and has an international clientele, people, especially in urban areas, are aging too fast nowadays.

"We see symptoms of 80-year-old persons in people who are just 30-plus, due to heavy pollution levels in our environment, food, water, etc," Da Costa said.

He said for men it is a warning sign if they develop a paunch, hypertension, diabetes and suffer from lack of sleep, and for women if they develop menstrual irregularities, mood swings.

"The aging process has started. That's when they must come to us before it's too late."

Besides affluent people, nowadays even the middle-class are opting for anti-aging protocols, he said.

The head of Business Development & Alliance of Mumbai's Healthizen, Vivek Tripathi, said that there were growing number of inquiries related to anti-aging from people.

"However, since there are many options available ranging from superficial to internal, we advise the patients to take due care before opting for any kind of treatment," said Tripathi.

Experts agree that the trickle in the form of a handful of exclusive, full-fledged practitioners of anti-aging will grow into a flood very soon.

Though global research in anti-aging has been going on for decades, it is only recently that major scientific advances have been achieved. These include cures for a variety of illnesses and disorders, besides enhancing the human body's immune system and increasing sexual energy, according to Chaturvedi.

Explaining the concept of anti-aging practice in modern times, Chaturvedi said though inevitable, aging is a modifiable process to a large extent.

"It is not a war on aging as is popularly believed, but a scientific method that delays and prevents aging process and simultaneously treats most age-related disorders," he said. (IANS)