Men Postpone Cosmetic Enhancement During Recession, Women Don’t

Despite the upward trend of the last decade, cosmetic surgery procedures on men have been declining during the economic downturn. Women (of course) are still actively seeking cosmetic enhancement and surgery.

Cosmetic procedures on men dropped 2 percent last year, while the number of procedures done on women increased by 29 percent, according to statistics from the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery.

“For the time being, males and females are beginning to separate themselves in regards to cosmetic surgery,” said AACS president Dr. Patrick McMenamin. According to Dr. McMenamin, a greater acceptance or willingness (by women) to try non-invasive cosmetic procedures (like Botox and lasers) may explain the percentage gap.

More widespread economic trends could be a more primary cause. In February, The Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that men lost 2.7 million jobs since the start of the recession – a figure that represents 82 percent of the total number of jobs lost. The New York Times opined that given this situation, “women are poised to take a greater share of the nation’s jobs.”