Not only are times tough for businesses in general, but they've also been tough for plastic surgeons as people shun more expensive beauty and health procedures for less expensive ways to get the body they've always wanted. Stepping in to fill the void is Final Inches, a privately-held company that in January opened a clinic in Rancho Cucamonga, its fourth location in Southern California.

Founded in early 2008, Final Inches is a medical company offering laser liposculpture, a less expensive and invasive procedure than traditional liposuction.

"We are in Los Angeles and Orange counties, but weren't in the Inland Empire," said Dr. Anh Ngo, medical director and founder of Final Inches, which also operates clinics in Costa Mesa, Sherman Oaks and Beverly Hills. "Rancho Cucamonga is a large and vibrant market for our services."

She said her company has a business plan that provides them with opportunities for continued growth, but she was "happy" with where Final Inches was now with four clinics. Based in Costa Mesa, the company has treated over 2,000 patients in two years, said Ngo, who declined to disclose her company's earnings for 2009.

Despite the weak economic conditions, she said business has grown significantly, as the company performed nearly twice as many procedures this year than in 2008. This increase in business stands out amid a significant drop in cosmetic procedures performed nationwide in 2009. According to the the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Liposuction procedures declined by 19 percent last year. Ngo said her company experienced an approximate growth rate of 40 percent last year.

She attributed much of the company's growth to women and some men seeking to make themselves more presentable in a tight job market. Eighty-five percent of Final Inches' clients are women.

Approved by the U.S. Federal Drug Administration in 2006, laser liosculpture costs between $2,500 to $3,500 per body area compared to $5,000 to $7,000 for traditional liposuction. Using local anesthesia, Final Inches' laser liposculpture procedure takes about an hour.