Popular cosmetic surgeon Vicki Belo wants to start 2010 on a fresh note.

Still smarting from a slew of controversies ranging from Hayden Kho's scandalous sex videos to alleged botched surgery procedures done on clients, Vicki described 2009 in two words: "dramatic" and "terrible."

Vicki, who will be celebrating her birthday on January 25, hopes to finally achieve that elusive thing called peace of mind in this Year of the Tiger.

The Belo Medical Group boss plans to celebrate her upcoming birthday here in the country and not abroad, breaking her annual tradition of flying overseas with loved ones to mark the special occasion.

"This year I'm joining a spiritual retreat for about two weeks. Kailangan soul-searching! Every birthday ko kasi hindi masyadong masaya," Vicki revealed last Friday, January 15, at the conclusion of the Belo Beauty 101 talk held at The Podium in Ortigas, Pasig City.

The event was staged to promote the various services offered by the Belo clinic as well as to officially announce the opening of the clinic's Podium branch.

NO CONTACT WITH HAYDEN. Part of Vicki's decision to escape the hounding problems from last year was to finally terminate communications with ex-boyfriend Hayden Kho.

Vicki dismissed nagging rumors that she continues to coddle Hayden despite all the problems following the proliferation of Kho's sex videos showing him with different women, including sexy actress Katrina Halili.

Both parties agreed not to see and talk to each other by any means for five months. The no-communication agreement between the former lovers will end exactly on May 20, Hayden's birthday.

"We don't know what we're going to feel in five months. But the whole point is to stay away from each other para malaman mo kung totoo o hindi. Kasi hindi na namin alam, napaka-toxic na nung relationship. Hindi mo alam kung magkaibigan ba kayo, talagang nahihirapan na rin kaming dalawa," said Vicki.

"Ang desisyon namin, nung Christmas pa actually, December 26 dapat, pero sabi namin New Year na lang para start 2010 right. So the decision was to take a break from each other, then sa birthday niya doon na lang kami magkikita."