When I first started as one of the editors of PSP, I wasn’t completely in tune with the burgeoning popularity of this market. Three years later, I still ask myself: Are Americans just more obsessed with appearance in 2007 … or has the broadened access to plastic surgery and other aesthetic practices had an effect on people’s obsession for change?

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, nearly 11 million aesthetic plastic surgery procedures were performed in the United States last year, an increase of 7% from the previous year. Is heightened consumer demand sparking change in the demographics of plastic surgeons?

Increasingly, plastic surgeons are introducing minimally invasive procedures and laser treatments to their offerings—no doubt, to address the ever-expanding demand for change (and possibly the demand for “not too much change”). And at an event like this month’s ASPS Plastic Surgery 2007 in Baltimore, more general practitioners will be walking the exhibit hall and haunting the conference rooms with an eye toward making the transition into the plastic surgery and aesthetic practice—because they’ve seen how change can result in new revenue streams.

In the few years of my tenure in the industry, nearly every plastic surgery practice has been altered in some way or another to keep pace with this industry’s altering trends. How many aspects of your practice have changed?

Have you added nonsurgical services and injection filler treatments to your buffet of offerings? Have you invested in minimally invasive lasers and new surgical equipment? Have you revitalized the look and feel of your practice?

How about updating your Web site or office programs to lessen the amount of paperwork for your staff so they can provide the highest-quality care for your patients? A more telling question: What hasn’t changed since you joined this industry?

Your patients always seek quick fixes, so following new trends is imperative to the success of your practice. And even in the midst of change, PSP will keep you updated on the smartest business practices and newest products and services available to continue to be successful.

It’s October, a big month for this industry and turning-point-worthy for us. As summer turns to fall, we transition to a new editor this month—words from him right here in November. Editorial change brings some new perspectives to PSP both on paper and here online (Have you noticed? Our new web address is www.psp-interactive.com.

Watch for even bigger changes coming in December with the launch of our freshened look (including a new brand identity). Just as you improve your patients’ features and bodies to inform their own perspective on the world, we’ll continue to do the same with the PSP brand. And just as the new Web site address implies, don’t hesitate to interact with us and keep us posted on what you think.

Rima Bedevian
[email protected]