A spike in the unemployment rate - the biggest in more than two decades, oil prices up to nearly $150 a barrel, the dollar has lost tremendous value against the euro and the yen, homes in foreclosure crossing the 1 million mark during the first quarter of 2008, a record high. Yes yes, we all know by now that the current U.S economy has taken a terrible downturn and is headed for a possible recession. As Americans are “feeling in the pinch,” more and more are tightening their wallet strings and opting out of purchasing discretionary items.  Cosmetic surgery is like any other discretionary item. Because of that, cosmetic surgery along with everything else has declined along with the declining economy.

I read this article in the NY Times today which talks about how the “top” plastic surgeons in the US used to have waiting lists to come see them that were two years long, now the waiting list is only a month. Many of these surgeons contribute this to the growing concerns over the economy, some over the loss of interest in plastic surgery, some to the increasing numbers of people opting for non-surgical procedures—such as botox, instead of a face-lift. 

Dr. Anthony Giffin a popular plastic surgeon in Los Angelos said “I think it’s related to the economy.  We had people refinancing their homes and using them as A.T.M.s to pay for procedures like liposuction and breast augmentation.” Dr. Linda Li, another popular surgeon in Beverly Hills said  “If it’s a choice between putting food on the table or gas in the car or surgery, the choice is obvious.”  Lei Huang, a senior analyst for Summer Street Research Partners said “There is definitely a trading down from big-ticket procedures.  People considering entire face-lifts may hold off on that for a few years and tell themselves, ‘I might go in for a little bit of botox in the forehead and a little filler around the mouth because that may be all I can afford right now.’ ”  “I think it is due to nonplastic surgeons getting a bigger piece of the pie,” Dr. Michael Kane, a plastic surgeon in Manhattan said.  When it comes to facial procedures, plastic surgeons are experiencing increased competition from other doctors (such as facial surgeons, eye surgeons and dermatologists), according to a new economic forecast published this month in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

What I found interesting was that this article also points out what two plastic surgeons said in a journal article. “It is clear that plastic surgeons continue to dominate cosmetic surgery of the breast and abdomen but are battling increased competition and even falling behind in the area of facial cosmetic surgery.”

So, how I read is that is that plastic surgeons are losing ground in the area of facial cosmetic surgery as more women are opting for procedures that cost less and do not require surgery, but that they will not have to “share their piece of the pie” when it comes to breast implants.  What that tells me is that plastic surgeons are going to be pushing this procedure even harder now because…well, they don’t have a choice. If they want to keep their practice and keep the patients coming through their door….drastic times call for drastic measures.

I can’t tell you how many times I have heard a woman say “I went to my plastic surgeon to get a breast lift and he/she talked me into implants,” or “I went to my plastic surgeon to have my implants removed and my he/she told me that I would look terrible and tried to talk me into just having them replaced,” or “my plastic surgeon told me implants are perfectly safe and I believe him because he does this every day.”  Well ladies, this article and these reasons are why your plastic surgeon says these things. As we have already pointed out here at Beauty and The Breast, breast implants are an annuity medicine, you have to keep coming back for more and more. More and more money out of your pocket and into the plastic surgeon’s bank account.  Plastic surgeons will do anything to keep their schedule full, especially during these difficult economic times.