Looks like folks are putting their tax returns to good use. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) recently reported on an interesting phenomenon this year: people are using their income tax returns to help pay for plastic surgery procedures.
Some might think the procedures that we perform are unattainable except by those in the highest income bracket, but this is a misconception. The cosmetic surgery field offers so many numerous treatments, and we see patients from just about every income level.
One of the greatest things about plastic surgery to me is the sheer variety of services we can offer to our patients. Our field is heavily involved in research, so new procedures are constantly being developed, while existing methods get honed and improved. The result of this is that we can serve a wider variety of patients.
A woman quoted in the ASAPS article discusses her intention to get a breast lift. She relates that she knew she wanted the procedure after the birth of her youngest child. This isn’t a Hollywood actress getting a facelift or Botox treatments to boost her career. This is a mom looking to do something for herself in the midst of packing lunches and giving her kids rides to soccer practice.
That’s what’s so great about the plastic surgery industry today. There isn’t just one market for our services. One patient might walk into the office looking for breast implants and a butt lift to turn heads on the Florida beach, while the next patient we see could be interested in otoplasty to correct his protruding ears, build confidence and improve his career prospects.
The habit of using an income tax return for an elective or luxury purchase is a fairly long-standing tradition for a large part of the American population, but a down economy changes that. Instead, when budgets are tight, many families have to use their tax refunds for practical things like mortgage and car payments.
Seeing that people are choosing to spend that windfall on cosmetic surgery this year signifies that the economy is finally, truly bouncing back, since folks again have the option of using their tax returns for things that aren’t dire needs. We can also assume from this is that patients are looking to cosmetic surgery for the same reasons they always did, including improved self-confidence and better career prospects.
All in all, I’d say this is definitely good news for the economy.