Not So Vain Afterall

As Wall St begins to rattle as the markets roil, so too is Botox use. Once an untouchable entity, for beauty was far too important to disregard, now Botox and the manufacturer Allergen are seeing a slump in injections. As sales slip and pricks dip, Allergen has begun to lay off employees. We had seen a decrease in pricey procedures like breast implants and rhinoplasty nationwide, nay worldwide, however Botox was still going strong up until last quarter. The fact that injectables are even suffering from the dreaded global financial crisis is causing a fright amongst cosmetic dermatologists ? many of which were relying on wrinkle-ridding and more cost-efficient procedures to keep their businesses afloat. The New York Times reported on Wednesday, "The company reported that sales of Botox - both for wrinkle-smoothing and for medical problems like eyelid spasms - fell about 3 percent, to about $329 million in the fourth quarter, compared with the corresponding quarter in 2007." Even with the slump in sales of Botox, facial fillers and breast implants by Allergen, the company is not suffering in the pharmaceuticals area. Cosmetics may begin to be cut, but medical necessities like drugs are still in demand.