First, who is Generation X? They are adults between the ages of 31 and 45. This is the age of becoming something, otherwise known as living in a pressure cooker. The race is on: get a great job, get married, have babies, buy a house and start saving for retirement. The added caveat is that now you have to do it in a recession economy.

So when this “put upon” generation has a couple of extra dollars, what are they doing with it? According to Fox Business.com, November 21, 2011, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) reported that “adults between the ages of 31 and 45 accounted for 43% of all cosmetic procedures in 2010. Baby boomers, aged 51 to 64, who do in fact have more expendable income, accounted for just 28% of such procedures.

Information about these new nonsurgical, noninvasive procedures is available almost every step you take: TV commercials, magazine ads, billboards, you name it. Further, new technologies are sprouting up like squash in August. But something much subtler is at work. A prominent plastic surgeon says these procedures “…are more of a lifestyle decision these days, beyond exercise and nutrition.” In other words, procedures like Botox and filler injections have become so prevalent, they are like taking vitamins or coloring gray hair. They are what people are doing to maintain themselves. Another plastic surgeon describes this phenomenon: “Many of my patients consider these procedures as part of their budget for personal ‘maintenance.”

The scourge of Generation X is the challenge of maintaining a viable status in the workplace. Expert analysis indicates, “each age group’s level of participation in the workforce plays a role in the amount of cosmetic procedures per age group.” If you pull up stakes and invest in a recreational vehicle with plans of traveling cross country and trout fishing, you will be less likely to undergo these procedures. But nowadays, who can afford that?

The president-elect, Dr. Leo R. McCafferty of ASAPS has some words of wisdom: “I think Generation X could be a bit more thorough as they do research. Not everyone is a good candidate for these kinds of procedures, non-invasive or otherwise.” And please check the American Board of Plastic Surgery to make sure that your doctor has the proper credentials beforehand.