Did Vladimir Putin have Plastic Surgery?

You be the judge:

The 58-year-old Russian prime minister set the blogosphere alight at the weekend after accepting his party's presidential nomination at a glitzy Moscow event with his face looking suspiciously smooth.

The skin around his eyes was almost totally clear of bags and wrinkles, triggering a fresh wave of speculation that he has had a series of cosmetic procedures to keep his face looking youthful.

Set to turn 59 next month, Mr Putin prides himself on his image as a Judo-loving energetic action man who is in ideal shape to lead the world's largest country.

But his critics say he risks turning into a parody of Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev who ruled the USSR from 1964 until his death in 1982. Mr Putin is well placed to serve two back-to-back presidential terms that would keep him in power until 2024 at which point he would be 71.

Speculation that he has cosmetically altered his face first surfaced in October 2010 after he appeared at a press conference in Ukraine wearing heavy make up with a dark patch that looked like severe bruising around his left eye. His spokesman said the incident was a misunderstanding, claiming the light had fallen awkwardly and that Mr Putin was simply tired because he had been "working a great deal."

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