The job market may be sagging, but why should your face? Minimally invasive cosmetic procedures — Botox, chemical peels and fillers — were 73 percent more popular in the final quarter of 2008 than in 2007, according to a survey conducted by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. "People are saying that they're not going to buy the 'it' purse, but the last thing they're going to give up is the stuff that makes them look good everyday," says dermatologic surgeon Dr. Tina Alster of the Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery.
Such cosmetic treatments, while not inexpensive, typically cost no more than a new suit. But elaborate procedures that require patients to go under the knife — liposuction, breast augmentation, nose jobs — are becoming less popular. Alster calls these the "big-ticket items," running to the thousands of dollars. That definitely exceeds most recession budgets.