Dr. Robert Kotler, a Beverly Hills cosmetic surgeon, recently joined our fast growing professional community.  Dr. Kotler has contributed great content to the RealSelf community, including sections of his book The Essential Cosmetic Surgery Companion.

When I connected with Dr. Kotler on a call earlier this week it gave me an opportunity to ask him whether the economy was having an impact on cosmetic surgery practices.  He confirmed that certain markets were undergoing big declines in demand for aesthetics, especially those hard hit by the real estate market (such as Florida).

He also surmised that the down economy would have limited impact on superspecialists in the cosmetic surgery field. In his book, Dr Kotler defines levels of specialty:

Level 1: Specialist. Some cosmetic surgery but most time spent on reconstructive surgery for disease or accident. Board certified. No fellowship training.

Level 2: Subspecialist. Practices both reconstructive and cosmetic procedures, but not the full scope of the parent specialty. Typically board certified plus fellowship training beyond his residency.

Level 3: Superspecialist. Practices cosmetic surgery exclusively. No reconstructive surgery. Typically board certified and fellowship trained, the most specialized of all practitioners. In the world of cosmetic surgery, these doctors are at the apex of sophistication, training and skill.

In other words, Dr. Kotler sees a future in which cosmetic surgery patient demand shifts toward practices that focus on just noses, breast augmentation or facelifts, not the entire body.