While it is true that many plastic surgeons are operating less, being beautiful is still within the budget for many men and women

In the city of Los Angeles, where beauty and vanity are the rule, plastic surgery for many is not just a luxury, but a necessity. Even as the Dow dipped to multi-year lows, men and women in the City of Angels have continued to rise above and beyond the standard of beauty. The quest for perfection is not dead in Hollywood, but for some, the idea has been forced to be put on hold.

Virtually every economic sector has taken a hit in the last two years, and cosmetic plastic surgery, even in a city where pretty is a priority, has not been immune to the economic anemia. From Wall Street to Main Street, we witnessed cash combusted in a raging savings disco inferno in 2008 and 2009. Is Ugly Street next for 2010?

Because beauty is high maintenance, many men and women are turning to less expensive rejuvenation modalities such as Botox®, and ‘fillers', as they weather the financial storm.  Through the thunder and lightning, injectables, at least in the short term, can offer a more affordable appearance boost than most traditional facial surgeries.

But one must understand that injectables, although quick, safe, and effective, are often insufficient for optimal correction of many facial aging signs. In other words, some people are just ‘beyond fillers' and Botox®. Injectables have their limitations. In fact, one can easily end up spending an equal amount or more on frequent large volume injections which are for the most part, temporary, than on more permanent anti-aging maneuvers such as one surgery or facial fat grafting.   

Prior to signing up for any injectable, it is important to discuss with your physician or health care provider realistic expectations, potential risks, potential side effects, expected product duration, and reasonable alternatives to the injectable, ranging from surgery to doing nothing at all.  With a skilled professional and the right plan, injectables can be a wonderful beauty adjunct through the tough times.  To that end, I don't see a beauty recession coming anytime soon.

Below is a list of some of the more popular injectables in alphabetical order with their active component.

• Artefill® ,Artecoll® (polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) microspheres)
• Botox® (protein derived from Botulism toxin)
• CaptiqueTM (hyaluronic acid (HA))
• CosmoDermTM and CosmoPlastTM (purified form of human collagen)
• ElevessTM (hyaluronic acid (HA))
• Evolence (porcine derived collagen)
• Fat (autologous, or ‘your own' fat)
• Hyalaform® (hyaluronic acid (HA))
• JuvidermTM (hyaluronic acid. (HA))
• Perlane® (hyaluronic acid)
• Prevelle SilkTM (hyaluronic acid, (HA))
• Radiesse® (calcium hydraxylapetite)
• Restylane® (hyaluronic acid (HA))
• SculptraTM (poly-L-lactic acid)
• Zyderm® (purified bovine-derived collagen)
• Zyplast® (purified bovine-derived collagen)

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Timothy Neavin is a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills. He has written and lectured nationally on the topics of plastic surgery's influence on one's sex life, and lectured nationally on the topic of injectables, body contouring, and the safety of combination outpatient surgery.