The Profits Are Skin-Deep

Members of the national Aestheticians Association think the skin-care trade will soon flaunt eye-popping bottom lines. Some reasons:

Skin damage increases as the ozone layer thins, and that means more salon visits. And new business opportunities are being created as salons form informal alliances with plastic surgeons and dermatologists.

Just as a surgically rebuilt knee can require follow-up physical therapy, a resculpted face often needs the attentions of an aesthetician.

With baby boomers now growing old, the country’s supply of vanity may be at an all-time high.