Aesthetic medical devices are used in body contouring, dermal tightening, dermal resurfacing, acne prevention, the reduction of skin pigmentation blemishes, and age related vascular/dermal lesions as well as hair removal.
These procedures use a wide array of devices which include microdermal abraders, dermal lasers, light emitting diodes (LEDs) and intense pulsed light. Additionally, a large portion of the industry’s revenue is derived from implants and fillers used in cosmetic surgeries which typically see an uptick in sales when consumer discretionary spending increases.
In 2009, the United States spent $10 billion on aesthetic treatments which represented a 23% drop from the 2007 total of $13 billion. With the US economy starting to show signs of recovery from the financial crisis and with the aging baby boomer population, US spending on aesthetic treatments in 2011 is expected to increase from the 2009 levels.