How Much Is The Credit Crunch Affecting Cosmetic Surgery?
Whilst some are feeling the crunch, others are finding business booming.
They say that cosmetic surgery is continuing to see a rise in popularity in some areas, in others it is feeling the affects of the credit crunch, according to various reports.
The Independent reported last week that a cosmetics manufacturer based in South Wales was cutting many jobs because of a dent in sales, which came amidst a number of other job cuts they had made in the months previously.
In the States, cosmetic and plastic surgeons reported that they were also feeling the effects of the credit crunch, with significantly less cosmetic procedures being carried out then usual. The American Society Of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) said that 60% of 385 surgeons that they asked had said that there had been fewer surgeries carried out in the first six months of the year in comparison to the equivalent period in 2007. In particular, breast augmentation surgeries were down along with nose jobs (rhinoplasty) and liposuction.
The Independent refers to the President of the plastic surgery society, Dr Richard A D’Amico, who told The New York Times “We won’t see the bottom until the first quarter of 2009. It’s not a pretty picture.”
If we were to take into account this opinion, then the downward spiral would seem to be getting worse.
However, reports this week have been showing that the cosmetic surgery industry in the United Kingdom is in fact booming, despite the economic climate. The Gay Times points towards a surge in men undergoing cosmetic surgery, in particular liposuction, nose jobs and breast reductions. The Gay Times carried out a survey of 1,000 men and found that 22% of gay men had undergone plastic surgery with a further 69% saying that they would like to in the future.
The Independent On Sunday refers to the popularity of cosmetic surgery amongst gay men and how some have explained this as the gay community having a bigger emphasis on physical appearance than other men. Also, homosexual men could earn more, “Gay men have a higher disposable income and, as a result, the pink pound is doing well,” said Patrick Preston, of Millivres, the company behind The Gay Times.
Sources: The Independent, The Independent On Sunday, Marie Curie
