Botox Gel and Internal Bras? The Future of Cosmetic Procedures

Despite a daunting 10.7% unemployment rate, America's love affair with cosmetic procedures rages on. While people are spending less on more invasive surgeries, they are still making room in their budgets for non-invasive treatments like Botox and Restylane. Last year, these nonsurgical procedures increased by almost 1%, while surgical procedures fell 17%, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS).

"[T]he economy reminded people that there is a limit to how much downtime they can afford," says Dr. Julius Few, commissioner of cosmetic medicine for the ASAPS. "What I see is an increased expectation for results, but also an increased expectation of no or little recovery time."

While the scalpel will remain the tool of choice for certain cases, the future of plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures will be in noninvasive techniques -- the next generation fillers, new types of Botox, stem cells, and fat being used for things like breast augmentation, says Dr. Daniel Baker, professor of surgery at New York University.

WalletPop's writer, Lina Nguyen provides a glimpse into the future of cosmetic surgery. She writes about how surgeons will be able to relax muscles without injections thanks to new products, how fighting fat will be easier without using a scalpel, filling lines the natural way, lifting breasts with your own internal bra, and much more. Visit Walletpop.com to view this article in full.