Cosmetic surgery rebound could be good economic sign

Bryn Collins paid nearly $10,000 for a facelift and eyelid surgery 10 years ago. Now, at age 65, she could have another, but opted instead for “facial fillers” — $1,500 injections that smooth eye wrinkles and mouth lines for 18 months.

Though Collins’ psychology practice was still smarting from the recession, she found a way to finance the shots. She quit shopping, hoarded the change in her pockets, and set aside the first $20 of every ATM withdrawal until she had saved enough.

“Psychologically, it’s healthy for us to feel good about how we look,” she said. “When I look in the mirror and see my grandmother’s lips and all, I say, ‘No!'”

Collins’ willingness to part with hard-earned cash resonates with cosmetic clinicians who say demand for Botox, fillers, chemical peels, breast enlargements, nose jobs, Lasik eye surgeries and other out-of-pocket procedures are creeping back after a dismal three years in the elective-surgery business.

“We have heard some recent rumblings that things are on the upswing,” said Brian Hugins, a spokesman for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Although firm numbers for 2010 are hard to come by, anecdotes and industry surveys suggest a mild comeback.

And economists are keeping a close eye.

“We saw one of the biggest pullbacks in consumer spending and confidence in 50 years,” said Wells Fargo senior economist Scott Anderson. “So the fact that this demand [for elective surgery] might be coming back is the first sign that the consumer is starting to come out of its deep freeze.”

Source:  October 25th, 2010 at http://www.suntimes.com/business/2832086,CST-NWS-cosmetic25.article