Kalamazoo plastic surgeons report that the number of cosmetic procedures done in the area has at least doubled during the past decade as Baby Boomers choose increasingly to part with their paychecks to fix physical defects.
"I don't think there's a stigma as much any more because people know a lot of people are doing it, especially with the extreme makeovers they're doing on TV,'' said Dr. Frank Newman, an aesthetic plastic surgeon with a 35-year-old private practice in Kalamazoo. Newman said about 70 percent of the work he does is elective cosmetic work.
About 90 percent of plastic surgeon clients are middle-class women. Baby Boomer men seem to be most interested in eyelid tucks and face lifts. Many finance their procedures with low-interest credit cards or fixed-rate loans now available for such purposes.
Source: Kalamazoo Gazette, August 12, 2005