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Be careful of “discounted” cosmetic procedures. While they may be tempting given the economy, AOL’s Stylelist website reports that some cosmetic surgery bargains could be at the cost of safety.

“To get the cost down, they could be cutting back on things like general anesthesia. They make you feel like the procedure must be easier and not so serious if you’re just getting local sedation. Nothing could be further from the truth,” says Long Beach, Calif., plastic surgeon Dr. Marcel Daniels.

Another trend that’s led to discounted cosmetic surgery is that doctors who studied a different branch of medicine are performing plastic surgery procedures, according to Stylelist. Because patients must pay in full, these doctors don’t have to deal with health insurance and hiring staff to process billing and claims.

“Many physicians not trained as plastic surgeons can legally perform a surgical procedure in their office. These people often claim that they can do the same procedure as a plastic surgeon under local anesthesia and may even claim they are more scientifically advanced,” says Dr. John Anastasatos, a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills. “The truth is that they don’t have surgical privileges at hospitals and surgery centers because they simply are not surgeons and never trained as surgeons.”

To ensure you have a qualified cosmetic surgeon, consumers should:

• Research your doctor to make sure he or she has plastic surgery training
• Ask to see before-and-after photos of their actual patients

Dr. Heffernan is an opthalmic plastic surgeon in Seattle whose credentials include fellowships in Oculoplastic Surgery and Facial Cosmetic Surgery at Louisiana State University Eye Center and Oculoplastic Surgery at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami School of Medicine. He specializes in cosmetic surgery related to the eyes, including eyelid and brow surgery.

To read the full article, visit Stylelist.com. (Photo by Aaron Gruenert, courtesy of Stylelist.com)

If you’ve been listening to the news or browsing the internet today, you may have heard about the so-called ‘vanity tax’ being proposed to help pay for nationwide health care reform. The LA Times blog Top of the Ticket says the tax would attach 10 percent onto any elective procedure – your eyelid surgery, facelift, or Botox could be taxed heavily. Writers of the Speaker’s Lobby say the tax proposal is probably “off the table” for now, and that the idea likely came from a treasury department official.

This so-called ‘Botax’ or ‘vanity tax’ is being contested in a few different ways, but here are the two common arguments being reiterated:

Would it be gender discrimination?

The tax would be paid almost entirely by women. Despite the growing popularity of cosmetic procedures for men, women still make up over 90 percent of the patient demographic in the United States. Obviously, imposing a tax such as the one in question would unfairly discriminate against women. Think about it this way: would a tax be imposed on men who purchase expensive tattoos, fashionable clothing, or bodybuilding equipment? It doesn’t seem likely.

Would it affect the wealthy, the rich & famous, or the middle class?

There’s a common misconception that’s probably at work here; it’s that “only the rich and famous pursue cosmetic surgery.” Experience in the industry will show you otherwise. A 2004 survey conducted by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons revealed that nearly “a third of people considering plastic surgery reported average household incomes below $30,000.”

Recall this New York Times piece by Natasha Singer titled “Who Is the Real Face of Plastic Surgery?” Ms. Singer discusses the fact that a large number of patients choose to finance cosmetic surgery when they cannot afford it out of pocket.