Cashing in on cosmetic medicine: beauty industry booming despite economy.

• Author: Beck, Cathie
• Position: HEALTH TRENDS

Beryl Reker is in her 60s, though she barely looks 43. She's got help, its true. That 40ish-year-old-looking skin and glow is an amalgamation of education, medical-grade products, living right and a surgical touch or two. She's the Medical Aesthetician at Aesthetics by Design in Englewood, but she's also a living, breathing testament to a beautiful face that appears relaxed and natural. "Our primary goal is to have our clients look like themselves, only better," site says.

Dr. Mario Imola employs Reker and owns both Colorado Facial Plastic Surgery and Aesthetics by Design. Imola is a cranial facial reconstructive surgeon and intimately knowledgeable about muscles, nerves and all other intricacies of a face. He brings more than 18 years of experience in treating facial trauma, inducing those suffering wit It birth defects and skull imperfections, to his cosmetic surgical practice.

Yet both Imola and Reker have watched their business and their treatments shift from mostly surgical-based procedures to products and less-invasive applications in the past half-dozen years. "Though we do a thriving surgical practice, we also continually learn new procedures," Imola says. "And in the past few years, our practice went from one that was primarily reconstructive to one that's now more cosmetic."

Indeed, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) reported in February that U.S. cosmetic procedures rose 5 percent in 2012, representing growth in the industry hr three consecutive years. Moreover, minimally invasive procedures like Botox and chemical peels rose 6 percent, while invasive procedures like rhinoplasty (nose reshaping) and breast augmentation decreased 2 percent.

The ASPS tracks the industry both nationally and by region, and Colorado's Mountain Region reports a healthy 7.8 percent industry increase--compared with New England's 5 percent and the East South Cental region's 4.2 percent increase.

And those cosmetic enhancements have never been more accessible. Medspas are businesses that offer traditional beauty services, like hair and nail care, but add treatments performed by a medical professional, often a registered nurse, to the mix. Injectables like Restalane. Juvederm and medical-grade facial peels are typical med-spa options.

Blondie's the Beauty Shop, located in Denver's Bonnie Brae neighborhood, offers client all die expected hair care and manicure services. In July 2012. Blondie's expanded its business with an on-site med-spa.

"We...