A cosmetic treatment is a new gift idea for those who like to make an impression - but it shouldn't come as a surprise.
By BENITA D. NEWTON
Published December 25, 2003
Gabriel Hall told his wife they were going to Busch Gardens on Tuesday, but when they left their Fort Lauderdale home and headed toward Tampa Bay, the real goal was to pick up an early Christmas present.
The final destination was the Clinique of Plastic Surgery in Clearwater.
Hall, a computer programmer, surprised his 29-year-old wife with a gift certificate for a chemical peel, liposuction and fat injections to plump her lips and smooth out a few wrinkles. The 29-year-old actor will spend Christmas resting so she can show off her new body at their yacht club's New Year's Eve party.
"She was all smiles when I told her," said Hall, 32, whose wife received a breast augmentation at the center two years ago. "l figured it would be the perfect gift to really make this Christmas a special one. Now she'll have a new face for the new year."
Hall is one of an increasing number of people adding cosmetic surgery to their holiday shopping lists.
Call it the new must-have for the person who has everything.
Tampa Bay area doctors who specialize in cosmetic surgery or procedures say they experience a holiday rush every year when people use their vacation time to get a new look. Now they are seeing additional business from people buying or cashing in a prepaid nip or tuck.
"People want to give a relaxing gift, so they buy someone a certificate that allows them to get a spa treatment, a massage and a Botox treatment while they're here," said Christian Drehsen, owner and surgeon at the Clinique of Plastic Surgery. "It's not an insult."
Deb Spicer of Orlando got a Botox treatment at Latorre Cosmetic Facial Surgery in Tampa for Christmas this year from her husband, but she's quick to point out that it was her idea, not his.
"He gave it to me for Christmas just because I wanted it, not because he thought I needed it," said Spicer, who describes herself as "over 40." "During the holiday season with all the business functions and holiday parties, it's just great to have that fresh look."
Spicer's surgeon, Randall Latorre, has offered gift certificates since his office opened nearly five years ago. People buy them mostly for collagen, Botox or skin care products. Latorre's practice picks up at the end of each calendar year anyway, as people try to look their best for family portraits and parties.
Latorre said business at his Tampa and New Port Richey locations has increased 20 percent over last year and about 30 percent during this quarter.
"During this time of year, people see family and friends that they haven't seen in a long time," said Latorre, whose practice focuses solely on work from the neck up. "They want to look good, so they come in for a touch-up."
The 6.6-million Americans who had cosmetic procedures in 2002 represented a 12 percent decrease from 2001, according to the most recent statistics available from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. But with the economy showing signs of life, plastic surgery traffic has revived.
Drehsen has seen business increase about 30 percent over last year, surpassing prerecession totals.
"People are much more confident now," Drehsen said. "It's like there was all this pent-up demand that people all of a sudden wanted to relieve."
Dr. Lawrence B. Savitsky of St. Petersburg is booked through January.
"We have been totally swamped," Savitsky said. "Plastic surgery has become far more widely accepted by the general public, and we've definitely seen an increase."
Movers and shakers are often attracted to newer "lunchtime" procedures that are relatively inexpensive and require little downtime. With 1.1-million users, Botox injections, which temporarily smooth out wrinkles, were the most popular procedure in 2002, increasing 31 percent over 2001, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Other nonsurgical procedures like chemical peels, collagen injections and laser hair removal, which all generally cost less than $500, were also top choices.
"It's not just about turkey necks," Drehsen said. "Before, they would just leave plastic surgery for their grandmothers, but younger women are much less afraid now, because that stigma isn't there and the procedures have become less noticeable and more subtle."
Spicer, the Botox enthusiast, said she considers the procedures almost a requirement for staying ahead professionally, especially for women.
"It's okay for men to look "professorial' or "deep in thought,' but women just look "haggard,' " Spicer said. "It's very important that you not look as tired and worn out as you sometimes feel."
Spicer, who spends a lot of time in the public eye thanks to her job in communications, said people are talking about cosmetic procedures more freely in the workplace.
"You notice when people take time off and come back with that fresher look," Spicer said. "People often ask each other for recommendations."
The pickup in business may stem partly from new television shows that center on the cosmetic surgery industry. Nip/Tuck, an FX drama about a South Beach cosmetic surgery practice, claimed 3-million viewers this season, more than any new series on basic cable. ABC's Extreme Makeover, a reality show that pays for and follows people through drastic plastic surgery and recovery, averaged more than 10-million viewers in its first season.
"Those shows are fun to watch, but they're mostly fluff," Latorre said. "They're misleading, since everything is condensed into one hour. But it does give people an idea of what we can potentially do."
Almost 25 percent of the people surveyed in February on behalf of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery said they would consider cosmetic procedures. About 75 percent said that if they had surgery, they would not be embarrassed to tell people. In fact, some people now plan "coming out" parties like those on Extreme Makeover to show off their new looks.
And body remodeling starts younger and younger. The 35 to 50 age group made up 45 percent of all cosmetic surgery patients, accounting for 2.9-million people. Fat-removing liposuction is the number one surgical procedure for the age category. "People are doing a lot of preventive maintenance," Latorre said. "They're not waiting for their 50s, 60s, 70s to do a complete overhaul."
Like others, Savitsky has seen a change in the type of people coming in for surgery, especially since some procedures have become more affordable.
"It's not just the society types anymore," said Savitsky, who has been practicing in Pinellas County for more than 25 years. "These are people who have worked hard, and they're doing something for themselves."
But Savitsky's office doesn't offer gift certificates, and he says he isn't thrilled by the idea of people putting plastic surgery vouchers under the tree.
"I kind of cringe when people bring it up," Savitsky said. "Especially when the recipient isn't aware that they're being given the gift, and there's an implicit suggestion that they need surgery. You can't really be happy with something when you're doing it for someone else."
Dennis Hurwitz, clinical professor of surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, offers this advice on giving a cosmetic procedure as a holiday surprise: Don't you dare.
"The only way it makes any sense to me is if someone has said that they'd like to have surgery happen for them," Hurwitz said. "To surprise someone with it is awkward and inappropriate, although, of course, it happens. But you should not presume a need or want that you don't know is there."
Hurwitz has followed the gift-giving trend for some time and said it's a byproduct of the desire to find that perfect gift.
"People want to buy something that's useful, but unique," Hurwitz said. "This is one of those gifts."
