A New Sin Tax is Born

Dermatologist Discusses Bo-tax vs Tanning Tax

Phew, the danger is over for the moment.  The Senate has seen fit to remove the proposed 5% tax on cosmetic procedures from the current Health Care Bill.  And I support that.  Botox and fillers are not a sin! They do not increase the cost of health care or add to the social burden as do other behaviors.  Long time “sin taxes” have been imposed on cigarettes and alcohol.  Whether or not you smoke or drink, most people will agree that these behaviors do increase health costs for the individual and often for society at large.  Hence the term sin tax.  Let’s make people pay when they do unhealthy things.  Now, I don’t think punishment is the goal here, just making us accountable for our increased risk of getting sick (cancer, liver disease, lung disease etc…. there is plenty of science to quote here on the association of smoking, drinking and health woes).

Now let’s look at cosmetic procedures, particularly the ones that I am most interested in:  cosmetic dermatologic procedures (Botox, fillers, and lasers).  My patients are solidly middle class men and women (mostly women), often middle aged who are interested in looking healthy and vital.  They are actively working and are understandably concerned with being passed by because people think age means lower productivity.  That is the society of youth superiority that we all deal with.  These working people are not the sickly, can’t go to work folk.  They are the opposite, they are the healthier ones and more likely to stay healthy because they are active.  So taxing what is actually a behavior that signals a healthy interest in staying vital is just counterproductive.

What has replaced the Botax? Nature abhors a vacuum and the Senate abhors the loss of an opportunity to tax so we know something needed to be chosen as an alternative. We now have a tanning tax.  More specifically, the Health Care Bill now contains a 10% tax on indoor tanning.  And that is ok with me.  Tanning under artificial light is known to increase the risk of skin cancer, not to mention wrinkles and premature aging of the skin.  The increased skin cancer undoubtedly increases personal health care expenses and the societal burden.  Similar to the alcohol and cigarette taxes the effect is to make people accountable for risky behavior…a new “sin tax” is born.

About Dr. Susan Van Dyke
Susan Van Dyke, M.D. is a board certified dermatologist who has performed more than 10,000 non-invasive cosmetic procedures.  She has served as a top consultant and national physician trainer for Medicis, Allergan, Lumenis and Solta (manufacturers of Thermage and Fraxel); on the advisory board for Valeant Pharmaceuticals; on the speakers’ bureaus for Valeant (Kinerase), RevaleSkin, Clinique Medical and Obagi; international lecturer for Solta, a “Platinum Plus” BOTOX Cosmetic and Juvederm Provider; and her practice is designated as a BOTOX Cosmetic National Training Center. Dr. Van Dyke has been honored as a faculty member by the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. She has been featured in national publications such as Glamour and USA Today. Van Dyke Laser & Skin is celebrating its 25^th Anniversary in 2010.  For more information on Dr. Van Dyke and her practice, Van Dyke Laser & Skin, visit http://www.vandykelaser.com/ and her blog www.SkinEnvyMD.com

Hours of operation for Van Dyke Laser & Skin are Tues.-Fri. from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sat. from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm. Consultations and appointments can be booked by calling 480.948.5045.

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