Economic optimism after Trump election win sparks plastic surgery boom in NYC

The stock market isn’t the only thing getting a lift from President-elect Donald Trump’s historic election win.

New Yorkers buoyed by economic optimism under a second Trump administration are fueling a boom in plastic surgery — especially breast implants and liposuction, according to a leading Long Island cosmetic surgeon.

Dr. Mark Epstein, a dual-board-certified surgeon, said he first experienced a sudden surge in business in late summer — typically his “slow season” — when support for Trump swelled after the failed attempt on his life.

3

The harrowing almost-assassination was a tide-changing moment in the election that helped propel a defiant Trump back into the White House.

“I noticed things were really starting to pick up … And what I was getting a sense is, is that there was a sudden change in consumer confidence, I have no other way to explain it,” Epstein, who owns Oceane Medical Aesthetics and Wellness in Hauppague, told The Post.

The calls about body-enhancing procedures continued to roll in, Epstein said, attributing the boom to optimism about the economy under President-elect Trump.

“As it was looking more and more and more like we were going to have a change in leadership in Washington, I think consumer confidence was rising concurrently. And I think that is what brought things back on track. And things have been very, very busy,” he said.

A recent post-election survey published by Pew Research Center found that nearly 60% of respondents indicated they were confident in the 78-year-old president-elect’s ability to make good decisions about economic policy.

Cosmetic surgeries, unless deemed medically necessary, are typically not covered by insurance — and aren’t cheap.

The number of patients getting procedures is dependent on how much spending money they have available, Epstein noted, which for many Americans has been scant under Biden’s inflation-plagued tenure.

3

“When interest rates are high, the stock market is low, the economy is not doing well – we definitely feel it as aesthetic providers,” the surgeon said, adding that, “under the current administration, the entire aesthetic industry was really, really feeling the depression.”

In a recent Wall Street Journal national survey, released in late October, roughly three-quarters of respondents said the felt costs for everyday goods and services had outpaced household income in the past year.

Epstein said that 90-95% of his patients are women, with breast augmentation being the most popular procedure, particularly among women aged 18-35. 

Liposuction also remains incredibly fashionable. Even with weight-loss medicines like Ozempic hitting the market, many patients still want the extra skin removed, he said.

One of his patients, Lauren, from Long Island, has had a few operations but most recently had a “tummy tuck” procedure done the day after Christmas and ahead of her family’s annual trip down to Florida in January.

Lauren, 59, said she made the decision because she wanted to feel like her best self — and with “a better economy” she could fork out the cash.

“You know, I do have money in the market,” she said.

“What inspired me was to be a better me. I mean, every year I get older and I want to have a better me and a better feeling of confidence,” the Long Islander added.

3

“And financially, obviously when you get the [bill], you’re like, ‘whoa, that’s a lot of money’ … but my attitude is you only live once and you can’t take [the money] with you.”

But while going under the knife is a big personal and financial decision, it is also becoming increasingly more popular.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) reported a 5% rise in plastic surgeries and a 7% increase in minimally invasive procedures in 2023, compared to the previous year.

Since 2019, there has been a significant 10.2% increase in plastic surgery procedures, reflecting a growing acceptance and demand for aesthetic enhancements, according to the ASPS.

The latest boom, Epstein noted, also coincides with the FDA approval on Sept. 26. of the latest breast implants, Motiva, made in Costa Rica, which have made him “very busy.”

“Having a new medical device come out that has been so awaited, and coming out at a time when consumer confidence is on the rise, that’s like an explosion,” he said.