Cosmetic pharma remains steady in downturn

Despite the U.S. economic crisis, men and women are still turning to pharma to stay pretty, according to the Wall Street Journal. About 75 percent of plastic surgeons responding to a American Society of Plastic Surgeons survey said that the demand for minimally invasive procedures remained steady, or even increased, while the demand for plastic surgeries decreased. 

While expensive procedures like face lifts might be on the decline, patients are still requesting laser treatments and injections, such as Botox. The WSJ quotes one woman who, despite cutting most spending to deal with $100,000 in debt from her daughter's education, has not stopped getting Restylane and Botox injections. 

Still, while keeping patients who are already hooked on beauty injections seems to be a simple task, it's more challenging to attract new patients in tough economic times. Companies like Allergan, which makes Botox, and Medicis Pharmaceuticals, which makes Restylane, have been offering deals to keep sales up. Likewise, since there were no such thing as pharmaceutical cosmetic injections in the last major economic downturn, it's hard for companies to predict what the future will hold.

- read the article [1] from the Wall Street Journal 

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