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New Jersey repeals cosmetic surgery tax

January 25, 2012 By

Gov Chris Christie Signs1 New Jersey repeals cosmetic surgery taxIn an unexpected decision, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed in legislation repealing the state’s tax on cosmetic surgery. The decision ends New Jersey’s distinction as the country’s only state to tax Botox, breast implants, and other elective cosmetic procedures.

The 6 percent tax was implemented in 2004 and brings in approximately $10 million annually. The tax is slated to end in July 2013, gradually decreasing each year. Starting next quarter, plastic surgeons will be taxed 4 percent, then 2 percent the next fiscal year.

“Since the gross receipts tax was imposed 1 in 2004, the tax has increased overall costs for recipients of cosmetic medical procedures, and imposed an administrative burden on the medical offices billing the procedures and the State agencies charged with the administration and enforcement of the tax,” the bill states.

The decision was unexpected because Christie was responsible for cutting $7.5 million earmarked for women’s family planning centers. Many expected him to uphold the cosmetic surgery tax. When created, the tax was expected to bring in $23 million annually. Those projects proved to be far-fetched, as the taxation only brought in $6.8 million.

Other states have shown interest in creating a similar tax, including Arkansas, Illinois, New York and Tennessee. On the national level, Nevada Senator Harry Reid proposed a tax on elective surgeries at a 5.5 percent clip. The proposal, nicknamed “BoTax,” met great opposition from the American Medical Association, cosmetic surgery lobbyists, and many of Reid’s fellow Democrats.

Eventually, the tax was limited to indoor tanning services and signed into law in the 2009 healthcare bill. The tanning bed tax is expected to bring in approximately $2.7 billion in the next decade.

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Hair growth shampoo maker recalls products, goes out of business

January 23, 2012 By

Perfect Image Solutions, which makes and sells a series of hair regrowth shampoos sold on the Internet and in stores worldwide, has recalled all of its products following intervention by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Hair growth shampoo maker recalls products, goes out of businessThe men’s and women’s products, listed below, were deemed “unapproved new drugs” by the FDA and present  health hazards to the skin. They are used to slow hair loss or promote hair regrowth in adults in middle to late adulthood.

All products can be identified by the name Perfect Image Solutions on the package. Depending on the product, the topical lotions are packaged in glass-dropper containers or bottles.

The following products, which are still available from some online stores, have been recalled:

  • Men’s Minoxidil 15% Azelaic 5% Hair regrowth topical, 60mL. (UPC # 736211275813)
  • Men’s Minoxidil 10% Azelaic 5% Hair regrowth topical, 60mL. (UPC # 736211276018)
  • Men’s Minoxidil 5% Azelaic 5% Hair regrowth topical, 60mL. (UPC #736211276117)
  • Women’s Minoxidil 3% Azelaic 5% Hair regrowth topical, 60mL. (UPC #736211274519)
  • Hair regrowth shampoo enhanced with Ketoconazole and salicylic acid, 180mL. (UPC #736211276414)

 

According to the FDA, products with 15 percent and 10 percent Minoxidil have not been proven safe and could pose a risk of “systemic absorption,” which could be further exasperated by those with psoriasis or sunburns. These products could also cause low blood pressure, heart palpitations and other heart-related issues.

Products with Azelaic acid could make users more susceptible to sunburn.PSB PerfectRecall2 150x150 Hair growth shampoo maker recalls products, goes out of business

Products with Ketoconazole could lead users to have hair discoloration, abnormal hair texture, itching, rash, and other skin irritations. Products with salicylic acid can also lead to mild burning, itching and dry skin.

A message on the Perfect Image Solutions website stated the company is “no longer open for business” and that it has discontinued its product line.

According to the FDA, the company has not received reports of serious injuries due to use of the products. The line of lotions and shampoos were distributed worldwide via Internet sellers and direct sales to distributors, all of whom have been notified of the recall by Perfect Image Solutions. Customers with the products are advised to discard them immediately.

Customers can contact the company Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, by calling (916) 791-3230. The company is also accepting emails at dave@perfectimagesolutions.com.

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Before “I Do” Bridal Makeovers

January 22, 2012 By

Every young girl dreams of her wedding day. It is one of the high points of anyone’s life.  It is a day that will be captured forever, on film (and likely, video). How we look on this most important day will live in our minds and the memories of our friends and families for years to come. Our walls, mantles, and possibly a desk or two, will reflect matrimonial bliss to all who see our photos and wedding day album.  Is it any wonder that men and women, worldwide, are opting for bridal makeovers before the wedding bells. Celebrities are notorious for this, of course, because they can afford it, and they will look better for the paparazzis.

Beck Smith Celebrity Wedding Photo 300x300 Before I Do Bridal Makeovers

Beck-Smith Celebrity Wedding Photo

Now, before we discuss the bride’s makeover – let’s just discuss the fact that men also want to look their best for their prospective wife, and attendees.  He is just as ‘on display’ as she is … well almo. We have personal knowledge of men who have undergone dental work, dermabrasion, rhinoplasty and other procedures in preparation for their wedding.

For the bride, of course, a spa treatment and professional hair and makeup are the minimum that people consider essential, but, we are talking about going the extra distance and having pre-wedding plastic surgery.

Many brides are reported to have dermal fillers, designer liposuction, breast implants, in addition to other cosmetic procedures. If it is a second wedding, and depending on age and former marital status, many women many have a tummy tuck or mommy makeover taking their vows another time.

If you are thinking of doing this, there are certain procedures that you will want to do well in advance of (4-6 months before the wedding), and others that can be done up to two weeks before. The work that one has done is personal, and varied. A bride can choose to have Botox and dermal fillers, peels and dermabrasion, spider vein removal, liposuction…all of the way up to chin implants, an eye lift, nose job and breast augmentation. Each bride knows how she wants to look on ‘her day’ – and the options that she wishes to consider. If you (or someone you know) are considering a bridal makeover, it is best to start your research early – and map out a plan with a board-certified plastic surgeon well in advance, so that you will be set for your amazing wedding day.

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New Jersey governor expected to veto cosmetic surgery tax repeal

January 16, 2012 By

All signs point to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie axing a bill that would end the state’s 8-year-old taxation of cosmetic surgeries.

Gov Chris Christie Signs2 New Jersey governor expected to veto cosmetic surgery tax repeal

New Jersey, the only state with such a tax, brings in more than $10 million each year, according to a report by the New Jersey Office of Legislative Services. Elective cosmetic procedures like liposuction, breast enhancement and Botox treatments, are currently taxed at a 6 percent clip.

Repeal supporters claim the tax has elevated costs for physicians who must collect and account for the taxes, while state money is spent on enforcing it. The legislative bill was sent to Christie late Monday evening.

Christie, however, is expected to veto the bill, experts said, based on his previous history. Last year, he vetoed a much smaller item, cutting $7.6 million out of the state budget earmarked for women’s clinics. Christie said the reduction was in response to the state’s economic woes.

Considering the current economy, few expect Christie to reverse course on elective surgical taxation. If he decides to sign the bill into law, the New Jersey tax will decrease to 4 percent in the next quarter, then to 2 percent in the next fiscal year. After July 1, 2013, the entire tax would no longer exist.

Other states lawmakers have shown interest in a similar tax plan, including those from Arkansas, Illinois, New York, Tennessee, and Washington. The original projections for the tax were approximately $23 million a year. In its first year, the tax brought in approximately $6.8 million, although those funds were not officially collected by the state until well into the second year.

According to New Jersey Assemblyman Joseph Cryan (D), who helped bring the tax into existence, the bill served as a “creative” way to find additional revenue streams. He and other supporters thought they were targeting the wealthy citizens of the state.

It turned out, as Cryan has lamented numerous times, the demographic most affected are middle-class working women. Additional bureaucratic red tape and patients fleeing to physicians in other states further doomed the original potential of the tax.

“Creatively taxing the public to raise revenue for other health care expenses does not work,” said Cryan.

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