U.S. Cosmetic Surgeons Report Slump In Business

December 1, 2008 7:15 a.m. EST

Arlington Heights, IL (AHN) - Like other consumer decisions made by Americans now turned budget conscious, many U.S. citizens are postponing cosmetic surgery decisions causing a slump in the industry.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons some cosmetic doctors experience a decrease in patients and procedures done from 15 to 30 percent.

Prior to the economic crisis, the industry was growing at a healthy pace with a 7 percent increase in procedures.

The ASPS said 12 million cosmetic procedures were done in 2007, but as of October, 59 percent of women who initially wanted to have a procedure done postponed their plans.

Another study made earlier said there was a 62 percent decrease in cosmetic surgeries done from January to June this year.

Also noticeable was the preference of Americans who still go through plastic surgery for non-invasive procedures such as Botox, fillers and chemical peels instead of various types of facial surgeries.

To counter the decline in their business, some practitioners have offered discounts. Dr. Don Mehrabi, a dermatologist in Beverly Hills, California provides a 30 percent cut on his fees for smoothing frown lines and crow's feet every Friday.

The rest of the week he provides a 10 percent discount on patients who go through Botox and Juverderm injections.

Some plastic surgeons offer larges discounts advertised on their Webpages, ranging from $500 from a single surgery to $1,000 for a combination of body or face surgeries.