Locate providers:   

Cosmetic Surgery Stands Firm in the UK While it Sags in the US

 

Cosmetic Surgery Guru reveal the current economic climate has had a major negative effect on sales of cosmetic surgery in the USA. The number of cosmetic procedures performed in 2008 was down 13.2% on the previous year, to 10.2 million.

Manchester, UK (PRWEB) June 6, 2009 -- Cosmetic Surgery Guru reveal the current economic climate has had a major negative effect on sales of cosmetic surgery in the USA. The number of cosmetic procedures performed in 2008 was down 13.2% on the previous year, to 10.2 million.

Facelifts, rhinoplasties and other invasive procedures are now considered prohibitively expensive in light of the recession. The number of liposuction operations performed in 2008 was down by 19% on the previous year, tummy tucks by 18% and breast enlargements by 12%.

Short-term, non-invasive and ultimately less expensive treatments like Botox (sales of which were up 8% in 2008) and microdermabrasion have become increasingly popular, as people opt for procedures that can "tide them over" until the economy improves and surgery becomes more affordable.

Fascinatingly, the credit crunch has had quite the opposite effect in the UK, where the number of people undergoing cosmetic surgery has more than doubled in the last three years. Despite a slight dip in the final quarter of 2008, the number of cosmetic procedures performed has grown by 75% since January 2009.

In the UK, women and a rising number of men who have lost their jobs in the recession are using cosmetic surgery as a means of standing out in interviews and boosting self-esteem, while those who are fearful of redundancy are reaching for surgery in order to enhance self-confidence in an increasingly competitive job market.

Transform, the UK's largest cosmetic surgery, has felt no ill effects of the recession so far. On the contrary, their business is booming on both the invasive and non-invasive fronts. They performed 35% more breast enlargements in March 2009 than they did in February 2009, and this procedure accounts for 69% of their surgical work.

Meanwhile in the USA, surgeons are confident that sales will pick up as soon as this economic crisis is resolved. Demand for cosmetic surgery, particularly among non-white groups, is growing, thanks in part to TV programs like Nip/Tuck and Dr. 90210, which help to publicize surgery's potential benefits.

New products like Dysport, the faster acting, longer lasting and less expensive alternative to Botox, will provide the industry with a significant boom in the short-term, while revolutionary new procedures, such as the use of a patient's own stem cells in breast enlargement, will ensure cosmetic surgery remains profitable in years to come.

Notes to the editor:

Cosmetic Surgery Guru is a free and accessible website dedicated to informing the public of new and exciting developments in cosmetic surgery.