You can’t turn on your television or radio lately without hearing about the disastrous state of our economy and speculation as to how it will affect consumers. Of course, certain industries will always thrive during a recession, like food and utilities and other indispensable things. But what about luxuries like cosmetic surgery? Is America finally starting to sacrifice vanity?

According to a recent article in the NY Times, that may very well be the case.

Recently, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons conducted a questionnaire among plastic surgeons to help shed some light on this issue. They found that 62% of the surgeons that participated in the survey performed fewer procedures during the first half of this year than they did during the same time last year.

Additionally, surgeons based in Orange County, CA have also reported a significant decrease in procedures performed. Any one who has ever been to or is familiar with Orange County knows that it is in the running with Beverly Hills for plastic surgery capital of the world…but even the OC isn’t immune to the recession, and it’s not just Orange County surgeons who are experiencing a slump.

It’s also not just those who are in bad financial shape that are shying away from cosmetic surgery. Recently, high-profile celebrities Courtney Cox and Lisa Rinna were both quoted expressing their lack of enthusiasm for procedures like Botox and lip injections.

When Botox came onto the scene in 2002, it quickly became a must have for many women who could afford it. As time went on, the procedure became more and more popular and thus more affordable. Much of the negative stigma attached to other types of cosmetic surgery didn’t seem to apply to Botox, as it was embraced by many older women as a safe and healthy way to turn back the clock on aging (despite its inherent risks).

Could the Botox era be a thing of the past? Are Americans going to start placing less value on aesthetics? Well, as far as Botox being unpopular, that seems like a fair possibility. However, it isn’t likely that all of the women in the country will start throwing away their beauty supplies just yet.

With cosmetic surgery off the table as an option for most…and beauty still being a high priority…what do you think we recommend?

=)