The Cost of Cosmetic Treatment Around the World

Cosmetic treatments are becoming increasingly popular as we all strive to look our best. From DIY facials at home to the ultimate in face and body makeovers offering tailor-made surgical options to nip and tuck in all the right places.

Of course, looking good doesn’t necessarily mean cosmetic surgery, and nowadays there are new innovations coming to market all the time, blurring the lines between cosmetics and pharmacueticals -cosmeceuticals – and adding to an already overwhelming choice for looking younger, slimmer and better.

Most of us want to look good but there’s a limit on how much we can afford – and many cosmetic treatments don’t come cheap. However, as most of us travel abroad regularly, there are ways to get cosmetic treatments for a fraction of the price while we’re overseas.

Many of these treatments can be carried out in a matter of moments, with virtually no after-effects or downtime and are perfect if you don’t want to miss out on any holiday time. Others may require a surgical holiday – where you book a holiday specifically for surgery. You’ll get all the benefits of top-quality clinics, skilled surgeons and the chance to recuperate in luxurious hospitals and post-surgery resorts.

Exotic Holiday Destinations

Most medical tourist destinations have initially appealed to people who like the idea of a holiday – usually somewhere hot and exotic. Thailand was the most recent pioneer of this approach – opening its doors to foreign patients in the 1990s and now one of the most popular medical tourist destinations on the planet.

Their ethos was simple. Modern hospitals and clinics equipped with state-of-the-art technology, luxurious patient facilities catering to every need, well-qualified staff with the expertise, skills and know-how to deliver outstanding results – and prices at least 60% lower than what their clientele paid at home. As an illustration, breast enlargement in Thailand is around $4,500 compared to $12,000 in the United States – a huge saving, and even with the cost of flights and accommodation patients should go back having spent less than they would on the procedure alone at home.

It’s not just Thailand that is popular with medical tourists – Mexico is also a desirable destination, especially with Americans and Canadians who maybe don’t want to travel long haul. Again, medical travelers can look forward to savings of at least 60% with nose surgery (rhinoplasty) in Mexico costing on average $3,300 compared to $8,800 back home.

City breaks and Day-Trippers

It’s not just the 2 or 3 week holiday that is appealing to medical tourists. Increasingly, people are looking at short breaks or even day trips to get discount cosmetic treatments while they’re abroad – and many of these have virtually no downtime.

Here we’re talking about non-surgical treatments, such as the facial injectables – treatments like Botox and dermal fillers – that can be injected under the skin in a matter of minutes with results that are noticeable immediately.

These treatments might not save you big-bucks – at least not on one session – but can amount to a few hundred dollars – and if you are a frequent business traveler then the savings could add up to a fair amount if you have the treatment regularly.

There are ways to save a lot on cosmetic treatments around the world, but be sure to do your homework first and check out the credentials of any clinics and doctors you’ve shortlisted. It’s all very well saving money, but not at the expense of your safety.