Injectables, dermal fillers, laser surgery, plastic surgery, photorejuvenation, laser skin treatments… In the face of nose-diving portfolios and little disposable income to go around, should ridding the face of wrinkles really be a priority?

Dr. Philip Prioleau, dermatologist, and Dr. Cap Lesesne, plastic surgeon, both in private practice on Manhattan’s Upper East Side debate the issue of priorities in cosmetic procedures.

There is an excellent article/slide show on MSN today. You will enjoy reading and watching it. It deals with:

• Botox breast lift
• “Doctor fish” manicures and pedicures
• Waxing
• Eyelash-thickening drops
• UV-activated teeth whitening
• Permanent makeup
• Chemical peels
• Brava breast enhancement, and
• Thermage

We find the “Doctor fish” manicure and pedicures especially entertaining. Well, we, however, should stay focused on the subject of our blog and comment on three treatments, that are near and dear to us.

LaserOffers.com comment

Waxing. Add up what you have and will spend on waxing and think about laser hair removal again.

Chemical peels. They work great in skilled hands. In most cases you will have oddly colored, patchy skin, redness, scaling and blisters; and the possibility of triggering previously dormant cold sores. Low concentration products you can buy OTC or online do not work and can cause unwanted side effects. High concentration in unskilled hand may cause scarring. Laser resurfacing is a very comparable, but much safer alternative.

Thermage. Remember the buzz initiated in 2002 by Oprah about this ”non-surgical facelift” by radio waves? Expensive glossy marketing has put this machine in thousands of aesthetic practices. Few doctors are still very happy with their investment. The number of unhappy patients with burnt the skin, scars, dents and grooves on the face, is much greater. Neither complication is very common, but both happen often enough that doctors say potential patients need to be more aware of the risks.

Just a few quotes from Men facing up to nips and needles published on FT.com yesterday.

“Anyone who says looks are not important is a liar,” says the 33-year-old account manager, who works for a British marketing agency. “You need to look good – fresh and bright rather than tired and stressed out.”

“I perform better if I feel confident so it may have increased the num­ber of contracts we have won”

“There are definitely more business guys coming in and they have very focused demands,” says Cap Lesesne, pictured, one of Manhattan’s leading cosmetic surgeons. “They are worried about their job futures and their professional longevity.” Typical male patients might be in their mid-forties, he adds. “They’re fairly successful and they’re looking to work into their sixties.”

“I was beginning to look kind of tired and wanted to have something that made me feel refreshed but not surgically altered,” says a 56-year-old maths and science academic. Prolonging his career was a big motivation: “I would like to work for another 10 years.”

In the UK, Steven Clarke, a 25-year-old engineer at Rolls-Royce, has had laser treatment at plastic surgery specialists Harley Medical Group to remove sun scars under his eyes. It seems that younger men, like such as Mr Clarke and Mr Burling are part of a generation that may be more comfortable with the idea of at least the non- invasive treatments.

Mr Clarke says: “If you don’t look after yourself it shows that you’ve got no discipline and that doesn’t reflect well on your work life. I’ve thought that if after lots of late nights working for Rolls- Royce I start to look tired, then I’d probably have an eye lift.”

“People are scared about losing their jobs and they want to look their best.”

“People might say: ‘You look tired.’ What that implies is you’re not as vigorous or energetic, or not as competitive as you might be.”

However, many in the sector are confident that they can weather the storm. “I know we will see a fall-out here even though this is a pretty affluent community,” .

She recentlystimulated demand by offering a 10 per cent holiday discount for facial “injectables”, such as Botox. “In my practice e surgical volume was down so we had to be creative. When the world gives you lemons you make lemonade.

“We’re not recession-proof but we’re recession-resistant,” says Dr Boxrud, who specialises in facial and ophthalmic aesthetic and reconstructive surgery in Hollywood. “There are some surgeons who only do cosmetic surgery and if they are only doing big, cosmetic procedures, they are going to have to rethink their practice.”

Mounting financial difficulties do not seem to have dented the zeal of the Australian women to ‘look better.’ Interestingly men too seem to want to spruce up. More and more of them go for hair removal.

There is an increase in people visiting cosmetic physicians for non-invasive procedures. People want to look good, and it’s not just social reasons – women are also telling us they want to look their best at work. Whether or not this has to do with the competition for jobs in the current climate we cannot be certain.

More women are seeking anti-wrinkle treatments, dermal fillers and laser rejuvenation treatments.

Traditionally in times of financial hardship, retailers often refer to the “lipstick index” – where there is an appreciable increase in sales of lipstick and intimate underwear. However, the savvy modern woman can also now turn to medically proven treatments, with proven efficacy and results.

Men’s increased interest in cosmetic treatments, in particular laser hair removal, will further dilute the “lipstick index”.

Manscapeing, as some call it, has become much more widely practiced – whether it’s getting a manicure, a facial or even removing their body hair or a laser peel, men are increasingly paying more attention to their appearance.

There are a number of reasons why men are choosing hair removal.

Some men want to look buff in a gym. Some think that back hair are embarrassing in a swimming pool.

Athletes want permanent hair reduction – cyclists or swimmers for example, who don’t want the hassle of constantly shaving their legs, and many others want to be hair free. Permanent hair reduction also solves the problem of in-grown hairs which many athletes and club warriors suffer from as a result of shaving.

Laser or light source hair reduction involves the use of lasers to affect the hair follicle. The most common treatment sites include lip, chin, back, underarm, abdomen, buttocks, pubic area, face, chest, arms, and legs.

The use of the term ‘medical’ in advertising by spas– for example ‘medical laser’ or ‘medical hair removal’ – is very misleading for people, as they are led to believe they are receiving treatment from a fully qualified medical professional. It’s important that those considering such treatments do their homework and feel safe in the knowledge they are being treated by a trained medical professional with a focus on their chosen procedure .

Any physician can’t but notice a significant increase in non-invasive and non-surgical procedures.

The job market is very competitive, and people are scared. With the combination of financing, decreased pricing and a wider range of services available, it becomes very realistic to give yourself a boost, go into that interview with an edge and just feel good all around. Procedures such as a photorejuvenation, injectable fillers takes a few minutes, zero down-time, produce quick or almost immediate results and cost a fraction of what a surgical face lift would be. Lasers, Botox and fillers can accomplish a very broad range of results from simply filling in the little lines around your mouth, to a completely different look.

More and more aesthetic practices offer financing with programs that range from interest free to 48 month extended plans.

As the economy slides south, does that mean our foreheads have to follow suit? Not in the U.S. Non-surgical cosmetic services like dermal fillers and laser treatments are growing more popular, even in the down economy.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 59 percent of respondents said in October that the economy had affected their plans for cosmetic plastic surgery but 27 percent said they would consider less expensive procedures like Botox and lasers.

Getting Botox has become about as common as getting a haircut or going to the gym. What used to be a hush-hush procedure deflected by starlets who credited their smooth skin to good genes and sunscreen is now so common that even young people regularly use Botox. And they don’t flinch as 50 units of Botox are injected around and between their eyes.

Dermal fillers, non-invasive laser treatments and a combination of the two is an easy and fast way to look great for 2009, without breaking the bank. This is the only area where aesthetic practices are showing growth. Consumers eager to stay looking young are turning to light based devices as alternatives to cosmetic surgery. Job seeking consumers need to improve beauty in a cost-effective way. They are worried about money, but for $10-a-unit Botox, they can get a fix that will last six months.

The rejuvenation business is a microcosm of the economy at large. Younger people are deferring surgical procedures until they feel more financially secure. Older residents, with cash in reserve, are still going under the knife. And all are seeking cheaper, less-invasive procedures. They can spend $1,500 for a package of skin care and injectables or $7,000 or $8,000 on surgery, and practioners ask them right away, ‘What’s your budget?’ “

The one step that you need to take most seriously when it comes to planning for cosmetic surgery is finding the right cosmetic laser surgery center. You need to find an aesthetic center that is going to be accredited and offer you everything that you need to get the results that you desire.

There are a few basic rules that you should abide by when it comes to finding a cosmetic laser surgery center. For one, you never really want to go to a newer cosmetic laser surgery center, and instead should stick to one that has been around for at least a few years. This way you know that because they are still in business they are a good facility and that they have patients who are pleased with their results.

You want to do research on a cosmetic laser surgery center before deciding on it for yourself, and you can do this simply enough, especially if you have access to the Internet. You can read reviews from past patients on any cosmetic surgery facility you are considering, to get the best opinion on it and determine whether or not it is going to be the right one for you.

Other Tips

Besides putting in the time to find the right cosmetic laser surgery center, there are a few other tips that you are going to want to be aware of as well.

For one, you need to make sure that you are having the right procedure. There may be more than one thing that you are interested in changing when it comes to your looks, but you should really focus on what is most important to you, rather than taking it all on at once.

You need to get the references of a plastic surgeon before entrusting yourself in their hands. The best idea is to get a firsthand reference, which means if you know someone personally who has had surgery and you like their results, you will want to seriously consider this surgeon to perform your cosmetic surgery.

The more time and effort that you put into this, the better your chances of success are going to be, and the less you will have to worry about something going wrong or of you not being completely satisfied with the outcome.

As you can see, finding a cosmetic laser surgery center is of great importance and you need to take this process very seriously.