Even a faltering world economy can't do much to quell the enthusiasm for plastic surgery. While rates may have dropped some, and some people may have gone with minimally invasive procedures for cost reasons, there is no shortage of people having plastic surgery in most parts of the world. There are numerous reasons why plastic surgery is so popular. Seeing "ordinary people" on television get an extreme makeover that includes plastic surgery piques the curiosity of many people. There are ever more ways to finance plastic surgery, and there is little in the way of stigma left from admitting having had plastic surgery.

Plastic surgery shows are all over cable television. Miami Slice, Dr. 90210, Plastic Surgery: Before and After, I want a Famous Face, The Swan, and Extreme Makeover are some, but by no means all of the plastic surgery shows on TV. Studies have shown that of women who want to have plastic surgery, 80% say that they watch at least one of these plastic surgery programs. Only 12% of people who don't watch plastic surgery shows choose to get plastic surgery.

Financing plastic surgery is easier now than ever, despite the recent credit crunch. There are credit cards that are specifically for financing plastic surgery, and sometimes people take out other types of loans to finance an operation. Some people simply add it to the credit cards they already have. Plastic surgeons are eager to welcome alternate payment plans. After all, they don't have to deal with insurance companies, so plastic surgery procedures have a very high profit margin.

It used to be taboo to discuss having had plastic surgery, but that has changed dramatically over the past decade. Whereas 20 years ago a person might be coy when asked about whether they'd had surgery, people today don't seem to have much problem with it. There are, however celebrities who repeatedly say that they haven't had plastic surgery when it is obvious to everyone that they have. More people nowadays think it's no big deal - hardly more worth mentioning than having teeth whitened. But there is also feeling among some celebrities that admitting they've had plastic surgery somehow makes them less "special."

There is no denying that, from easy financing options to the ready availability to the lack of social stigma, plastic surgery is now a mainstream ” ”" phenomenon that not even a recession can derail.