I practice facial plastic surgery in perhaps the most affluent community in the world here in Beverly Hills and I, too, have seen a change in the demand for certain procedures during these trying economic times. During the recession, we have actually seen an increase in the demand for laser procedures and non invasive procedures such as liquid facelifts and in-office facelifts and in-office cheeklifts. This is understandable as people who may be looking for jobs cannot afford downtime if and when a job interview arises.
As a result I have become very involved in learning and helping to pioneer the latest and greatest in noninvasive technologies. The E-Matrix system by Syneron, Inc. is the latest in fractional skin resurfacing with radio frequency. I also frequently use the Pixel system by Alma which is the latest in fractional erbium resurfacing. Both of these systems allow for the improvement of fine lines and wrinkles, and refreshes the skin’s texture and firms the skin creating a youthful appearance. I have also been doing more IPL or fotofacials. This is a noninvasive technology to improve brown and red spots that are the result of age and sun damage. There has also been an increased demand for the Accent which is the latest technology for noninvasive body shaping and skin tightening. These technologies all allow for a painless and easy recovery with essentially no downtime.
The gold standard for resurfacing is still the CO2 laser and Phenol peel both of which I still do but not as often. These 2 techniques are the most powerful methods to eliminate facial wrinkles but both are associated with downtime anywhere from 2 weeks to several months and in today’s economic climate, that potential downtime is too long for many people.