Blogs, news outlets, and even radio programs in the U.S. are making a buzz about a cosmetic surgery tax proposed to help finance health care reform. According to LA Times blog Top of the Ticket, the tax could attach a 10 percent charge to any elective procedure – your liposuction, tummy tuck, breast implants, or Botox could be heavily taxed. Political blog writers for the Speaker’s Lobby say the tax proposal is probably “off the table” for now, and that the idea likely came from a treasury department official.

People are taking issue with this so-called ‘Botax’ or ‘vanity tax’ for a few different reasons, but here are two arguments that keep being reiterated:

Would it be gender discrimination?

The tax would be paid almost entirely by women. Despite the growing popularity of cosmetic procedures for men, women still make up over 90 percent of the patient demographic in the United States. Obviously, imposing a tax such as the one in question would unfairly discriminate against women. Think about it this way: would a tax be imposed on men who purchase expensive tattoos, fashionable clothing, or bodybuilding equipment? It doesn’t seem likely.

Would it affect the upper or middle class?

There’s a common misconception that’s probably at work here: it’s that “only the rich and famous pursue cosmetic surgery.” Experience in the industry will show you otherwise. A 2004 survey conducted by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons showed that “about a third of people considering plastic surgery reported average household incomes below $30,000.”

Recall this New York Times piece by Natasha Singer titled “Who Is the Real Face of Plastic Surgery?” Ms. Singer discusses the fact that a large number of patients choose to finance their cosmetic surgeries, just as they would a new car.