It used to be getting a makeover meant a closet full of new clothes
and a fresh new ‘do. But somewhere between reality television and advancing
technology, America’s obsession with self-improvement has rocketed into
the stratosphere. Thanks to TV shows like The Swan and Extreme Makeover,
more people are opting for a quick surgical fix -- and plastic surgeons
are responding by putting nipping and tucking within an exfoliated arm’s
reach. Nowhere is the trend gaining more steam than in Beverly Hills,
where a handful of doctors has set up medical shops among the fashion
elite of Rodeo Drive. For prospective patients, the bonus is twofold:
Not only do they get to skip the dreary hospital scene; medical care
has never been more convenient. Welcome to the age of retail medicine,
where getting a facelift is almost as easy as picking up a pair of Prada
pumps. It started about 18 months ago when Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery
(421 N. Rodeo Dr., Terrace Level South, 310.550.6300) -- a ritzy nip-and-tuck
stop favored by moms in search of their pre-pregnancy abs -- opened
not far from Chanel. Never mind that Rodeo doctors pay more per square
foot than they would in other parts of town; they’re banking on the
tony address to win new clients.