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Seen At 11: 'Cosmetic Infidelity' Women Turn To Secret Surgery To Strengthen Marriages

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Infidelity can tear a marriage apart, but some say a certain kind of infidelity can make a marriage better.

CBS2's Hazel Sanchez spoke with two women -- who didn't want to be identified -- but freely admitted that they commit infidelity, except they aren't cheating with another person.

Instead, they're cheating by keeping secrets. Cosmetic infidelity involves having procedures done on the sly, and never telling an unsuspecting spouse.

"I think he just really thinks I stay young, and this is how I look," one woman said, "Forever young, that's the way it is."

"I think at the end of the day, you should do what makes you feel good," the other woman said.

Plastic Surgeon Norman Rowe said it's not difficult to keep it a secret when treatments are simple, like Botox and filler, but it can get tricky with other procedures that involve longer recovery time.

"Those women tend to wait until their husbands go away for a week or two on a business meeting," Dr. Norman Rowe said.

He said many go to great lengths to hide the financial fallout -- from putting treatments on multiple credit cards to having their own 'slush fund' where they put away and save money each month.

Women said it's been good for their families as long as it doesn't hurt their family finances then it's no harm, no foul.

"If it's in your budget and you want to do it, you shouldn't need a pass or approval from your husband," one woman said.

However, psychologist Dr. Sanam Hafeez said this kind of behavior could lead to more serious deceptions.

"It adds an element of distrust to the marriage, because once you start doing that, it is a bit of a slippery slope," she said.

Women who say this is the extent of their infidelity claim it's good for everyone.

"At the end of the day my husband always says, 'Happy wife, happy life,' and you know what? I agree with that," one woman said.

Experts said it's a growing trend, with one doctor reporting that a third of patients want to keep their surgeries a secret.

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