Cosmetic surgeon Mark Berman of Los Angeles, who is also the president of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, stated,

A lot of the economy moves with the baby boom. What I've been telling a lot of my colleagues who are somewhat disappointed and fearful of this down economy is: Sit tight.

Less invasive treatments such as laser skin resurfacing or chemical peel call for less scarring, less recovery time, and less money than invasive procedures like abdominoplasty or breast augmentation. Many of the less invasive procedures, which are also less expensive, are carried out using a syringe rather than a knife.

Even though 53-year-old Sheila Brown is working for a firm where the salary is temporarily frozen, and though she is checking her everyday expenditures, she resolved to undergo laser facelift, which cost $2,500, to stiffen her face’s lower part and also her neck. She mentioned that the discount of $3,500 given by her surgeon bettered the deal.

Discounts are being offered by a lot of doctors to entice patients. Dr. Jacob Haiavy, who is also Inland Cosmetic Surgery’s medical director, said,

It's tough because 90 percent of what we do is elective. People have been more scrutinizing and resistant to spending money.

Cosmetic surgeon Jean Loftus said,

Once somebody decides they're going to have cosmetic surgery, it's something they're going to do. It's not 'if. It's 'when.' Loftus also remarked, Other discretionary things you sometimes go, 'Gosh. I could live without that'

the whole reason cosmetic surgery works is because people are willing to spend money to change something in their body that changes the way that they feel about themselves.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reported that, in 2008, 12.1 million cosmetic surgical procedures were carried out. This value indicates a decline of 9% in surgical operations, but also an increase of 5% in minimally invasive surgical procedures. These numbers appear to back up Loftus’ belief.