Shortage of American plastic surgery clients?

Dr. Anthony Griffin is a plastic surgeon based in Beverly Hills. He is one of the celebrity plastic surgeons who did makeovers on TV through the Extreme Makeover show on ABC. He recalls that in 2005, a new plastic surgery client needed to wait for about two years for an appointment with him. However, today, things have started to change.

Griffin observed that his waiting list have become shorter, now averaging three months. And most of his clients are Russian and British. Where did the American clients go?

Griffin concluded that the bad economy must have been causing this decrease. He said, "I used to have ballplayers' wives coming in - they did not even look at what we charged.” However, that is already a thing of the past.

This drought of American plastic surgery clients is not only evident in Beverly Hills. Even other centers of plastic surgery makeovers such as California, and New York are also experiencing the trend. Plastic surgeons, who are used to be featured in posh magazines and television shows, are not spared from the decline of number of patients seeking expensive beauty makeovers.

One of the major factors of this sudden shortage of clients is the presence of various alternatives for plastic surgery. Before, surgeons have the monopoly since the only way to a better appearance is through a scalpel. Now, laser treatments and injectibles abound that promise the same results. As a result, plastic surgeons are now competing with other specialists and even non-specialists for a pool of patients.

In connection with that, patients are more likely to opt for a cheap injection that go for an expensive surgery.