Downturn Adds a Wrinkle to Cosmetic Procedures
By Naureen S. Malik
It’s tough to put a pretty face on what the recession is doing to the cosmetic-procedures business, as the latest statistics released today by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons illustrate.
The total number of surgical and less-invasive cosmetic procedures performed in 2008 inched up 3% to 12 million from the prior year. But the $10.3 billion in revenue generated by those procedures represented a 9% decline from 2007, according to the group, which is the world’s largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons.
Actually, we’ve know there has been a slide in various types of plastic surgery for years, a drop in demand made worse by the recession. Americans are opting for more Botox and other less-invasive procedures, which grew 5% to 10.4 million last year, ASPC’s latest numbers said.
Botox procedures rose 8% to five million last year, the group. (Botox maker maker Allergan still announced 460 job cuts, or 5% of its work force, in February). Procedures also still growing last year included those using hyaluronic acid fillers to treat wrinkles and plump up lips, which climbed 6% to a total of 1.1 million.
Women accounted for 91% last year’s cosmetic procedures of all types, with growth seen across age groups above 30 years old. In women ages 20 to 29, surgical procedures fell 9% last year, according to ASPC.
Cosmetic procedures rose 11% among Hispanics, African Americans and Asians to nearly 26% of last year’s total, while procedures among Caucasians fell 2%.
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