On Cosmetic Surgery Travel/Vacation Packages

There are various sites on the internet about the cosmetic surgery travel packages being offered in various countries. The Philippines is also a great place for medical tourism since we are well known to have many qualified and well-trained doctors who have acquired their postgraduate or fellowship training from well-known institutions in the U.S.A. Because of the favorable exchange rates, costs here are remarkably lower compared to other countries like the U.S., U.K., Singapore, Australia, and South Africa. Visit Beauty Journeys Philippines for some pre- or post- surgery vacation packages to great spots with the breathtaking views and beaches the Philippines is famous for.

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Medical Tourism and the Cosmetic Surgery Scene in the Philippines

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Affordable cosmetic surgery in the Philippines

The Philippines is fast becoming a favored destination for those seeking quality medical care and great results at very affordable prices. There is an increasing number of Filipinos each year who decide to undergo various cosmetic surgery procedures. Many balikbayans and people from other countries also have their various cosmetic surgery procedures done here. The Philippines' highly favorable exchange rate can benefit both local and foreign patients desiring plastic surgery who otherwise couldn't afford it.

When you choose to have your elective cosmetic surgeries done in Philippines you get exceptional value for the latest techniques in cosmetic plastic surgery. Lower overhead costs and professional fees makes it possible for plastic surgeons to perform these surgeries at a fraction of the cost of the same procedures in the United States, U.K. and other countries, without sacrificing quality of care.

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Cosmetic Surgery Scene in the Philippines

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Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Philippines
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Christians and Cosmetic Surgery

There is nothing wrong in trying to improve one’s appearance as much as may be possible. If you are bothered about something in your appearance, approach it just as you would any other physical problem you might be born with. Like crooked teeth. Lousy eyesight. Or poor hearing. It’s just as easy to be born with a nose that’s too small. Or ears that stick out. Or breasts that never develop. Plastic surgery can often solve these problems. Usually permanently.

In fact, no less than Pope Plus XII declared on Oct. 14, 1958:
" If we consider physical beauty in its Christian light and if we respect the conditions set by our moral teachings, then aesthetic surgery is not in contradiction to the will of God, in that it restores the perfection of that greatest work of creation, man."


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Is it wrong to have cosmetic surgery?

If you do have a physical problem that really bothers you and makes you feel self-conscious, is there anything wrong with correcting it? Of course not!

Arguments which you often hear against cosmetic plastic surgery ("It’s just not natural") are ridiculous. And out of date. Fortunately, intolerance and old-fashioned prejudice are fading fast. Everyday more and more people are realizing that it’s okay to have plastic surgery. Let’s face it, Mother Nature does make mistakes. There’s nothing wrong with correcting them.

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Plastic Surgery offers a Choice

Blame Mother Nature. Blame your parents. Blame it on bad luck. But whatever you do, don’t blame yourself if you were born with something you’re unhappy with. You’re not alone. Psychology Today magazine did a study which showed that lots of people feel Mother Nature could have done a better job.

60,000,000 don’t like their noses.
30,000,000 don’t like their chins.
6,000,000 don’t like their ears.
And 6,000,000 don’t like their eyes.

For thousands of years, matters of appearance were very simple. If there was something you didn’t like about the way you looked, there were only two things you could do. Try to hide it. Or, learn to live with it.

The good news is, those days are over. Medicine and technological breakthroughs have changed the rules. Plastic surgery now offers something we’ve never had before…choice. All over the world, more than 2,000,000 people make a change for the better through plastic surgery every year. So can you.


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Cosmetic surgery is not a miracle cure

Cosmetic surgery can help to improve one’s appearance as much as may be possible. However, it can do no more and it is not the answer to all of life’s problems. You may think that people will treat you differently or that you will be a happier person after your cosmetic surgery procedure. These are unrealistic expectations. Good results will help you increase your self-confidence but you won't necessarily look like your ideal. If one expects a transforming miracle, there will undoubtedly be disappointment.

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The Cosmetic Surgery Scene in the Philippines

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and having affordable cosmetic plastic surgery in the Philippines

Cosmetic Surgery: It’s not just about vanity

Cosmetic surgery is about ordinary people with problems. Maybe it’s a nose that’s flat. Or small breasts. Or a fat waist. Or wrinkled, sagging skin that makes someone who feels young and alive look old and depressed. Whatever the cause, it’s a problem. Not so much because of the way it makes you look – but because of the way it makes you feel.

Fortunately, more and more people are discovering the truth about cosmetic surgery. And the truth is, it works. Today’s modern techniques and proven procedures can help you not only look better but feel better as well. Recovery is quicker and easier. Surgery fees are affordable. And patient satisfaction is high.

A little change on the outside that can lead to a big change on the inside.

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Looking Good
About Cosmetic Surgery

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Cleft Palate Surgery

One of the most fulfilling types of surgery for me as a plastic and reconstructive surgeon is the cleft palate surgery. In the Philippines, there are a lot of babies born with congenital deformities such as cleft palates. The benefits of a short two hour operation last a lifetime and makes a big difference in the way these babies will live their lives. Unfortunately, many of the families these babies are born to don't have adequate finances to cover expenses, even when plastic surgeons volunteer to do the operation for free. Fortunately, organizations such as the Rotary Club of Valenzuela (Rotary International District 3800) have projects to help finance these babies' operations. Their "Bagong Pangarap Project" which started this 2005 had Baby Angel Pinoy as their first cleft palate patient. Indeed, a plastic surgeon's work of healing and helping gives these babies new hope for the future.


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The difference between plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery

Plastic surgery is a specialized branch of surgery that is concerned with correcting deformities that are congenital (in-born) or acquired from accidents or aging, in order to restore or enhance form and/or function.

The origins of plastic surgery are rooted in ancient history. Until the end of the nineteenth century, plastic surgery was essentially reconstructive. With the perfection of techniques, the correction of minor defects that were congenital in nature or due to aging came to be practiced, evolving into what is now popularly known as cosmetic or aesthetic plastic surgery.

Although plastic surgery can be categorized into either reconstructive or cosmetic surgery, there is no clear distinction between the two, since there is a cosmetic aspect in reconstructive surgery, and often a reconstructive aspect in cosmetic surgery. Pioneer plastic surgeon Sir Harold Gillies defined reconstructive surgery as an attempt to restore the individual to normal, while cosmetic surgery is an attempt to surpass the normal.


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When Plastic Surgery is "Trivialized"

As I mentioned before, media has a big part to play in the increased demand for cosmetic surgery these days. But media's coverage of cosmetic surgery also has a negative effect, as this BBC news article reports.


Leading doctors from the British Association of Plastic Surgeons say the obsession with cosmetic surgery is obscuring the real work plastic surgeons do and tends to trivialize what the specialty can do. They say some people even see them in a similar vein as hairdressers. But this perception means that some unsuitable and unqualified doctors are performing cosmetic surgery, leaving the qualified plastic surgeons to repair the damage. The doctors emphasized their work of healing and helping people, treating cancer patients burn and accident victims, and patients with congenital deformities such as cleft palates.


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Are looks really that important?

So are looks really that important? No. And Yes!

Most people would agree that what is inside a person is more important than what is outside. But increasingly, we’re learning that how you look is very important too because it can have a direct effect on how you feel about yourself. When there’s something you don’t like about the way you look, it can make you feel self-conscious, unconfident and unhappy. That’s the real story behind today’s cosmetic surgery. Helping people feel better about themselves. Helping them to look the way they feel inside.

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About Cosmetic Surgery
Are Looks Really that Important?

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Cosmetic surgery to improve the quality of life

Some may say cosmetic surgery is unnecessary, but who's to say what is necessary or unnecessary for someone else? It is impossible to measure human suffering. A flat nose may be unimportant to one individual; however, in another it can produce emotional discomfort. If your teeth are crooked, are braces necessary? What if you are constantly being teased about how your ears stick out? Cosmetic surgery can truly satisfy many needs. There are various life-enhancing cosmetic surgery procedures which can restore or enhance your features. Often, the benefits of an operation which will take an hour will last a lifetime because it can make you look and feel years younger, refreshed, and rejuvenated, and it can provide the extra measure of inner confidence which may otherwise be difficult to achieve.

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About Cosmetic Surgery
Are looks really that important?

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Cosmetic surgery comes out of the closet

Here's an interesting article about how times have changed from the days when having cosmetic surgery was a dark secret. Today, cosmetic surgery has become increasingly common among mainstream Americans.

Last year, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) conducted a nationwide survey of 1,000 adults which showed that 54 percent of respondents approved of cosmetic surgery and 24 percent (30 percent of women and 18 percent of men) said they would consider it for themselves. About 75 percent of men and women said they wouldn’t be embarrassed if others knew they had cosmetic surgery.

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Cosmetic Surgery Boom & the Medical Profession

Another factor in the rise in cosmetic surgery procedures that are performed is that the general medical profession has become better educated about cosmetic surgery and has accepted the fact that it is safe.

Also, there is a growing awareness that the role of modern medicine should not be limited only to the treatment of diseases but that it should alleviate human suffering in all its forms. Survival is no longer the only principal effort; improvement of the quality of life is also important.

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The Cosmetic Surgery Boom & Media

Several factors are responsible for the boom in cosmetic surgery today. First of all, the public has been continuously bombarded by the communications media and are much more aware of the options available to them.

For thousands of years, matters of appearance were very simple. If there was you didn’t like about the way you looked, there were only two things you could do. Try to hide it. Or, learn to live with it.

Those days are over. Medicine and technological breakthroughs have changed the rules. Plastic surgery now offers something we’ve never had before…choice. Media has greatly influenced people's consciousness about their choices.

All over the world, people from all walks of life have made a change for the better through plastic surgery. Media has changed how cosmetic surgery is perceived. Once exclusive to the rich and famous, cosmetic surgery is becoming more and more acceptable to ordinary people. Those who have undergone cosmetic surgery procedures are also more open about them.

The emphasis on physical beauty and body consciousness encouraged by media has influenced the way women see themselves. Studies show that many people equate self-worth and the worth of others with the attainment of attractiveness. TV, movies, and magazines influence standards of beauty and pressure people to aspire to reach these often unrealistic standards.

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Cosmetic surgery today

Cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is a very popular subject these days. Make a search on the internet for cosmetic or plastic surgery and you will get millions of results - web sites of plastic surgeons of different nationalities, various procedures available, before and after photos, celebrity patients, clinics and surgery travel packages for various countries, news from around the world, etc. etc. etc.

There is an increasing number of individuals from all walks of life who undergo cosmetic surgery each year. What is cosmetic surgery and why are so many people interested in it? Cosmetic surgery is a highly sophisticated surgical specialty that is dedicated not only to the return of the face and body to normal but to improvements that actually surpass the normal. Well, is it simply that more people nowadays want to "surpass the normal" or be above average in appearance than before?

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The Science and Art of Cosmetic Surgery

Cosmetic plastic surgery is both a science and an art...

A science because it requires a solid foundation of medical and surgical knowledge to be able to achieve the best results with the least risk. To be able to gain this understanding of the complex intricacies of the craft of cosmetic surgery, a qualified plastic surgeon needs to have years of training in all aspects of cosmetic and reconstructive surgery...

He should complete an accredited 5-year residency program in plastic surgery. He may even choose to extend his formal education beyond these basic requirements, with post-graduate fellowship training. But technical skill and years ofexperience are not enough. A cosmetic plastic surgeon needs to be an artist. He has to have a sense of what is beautiful,what is pleasing to the eye. He must have creativity, imagination, meticulous attention to detail, and a sense of harmony and balance. His aesthetic judgement and ability to visualize the end result sets him apart from other surgeons. As an artist, the plastic surgeon is able to transform his given materials into something beautiful. Just like a painter uses his brush to create works of beauty on canvas, a cosmetic surgeon uses his scalpel and utilizes the most refined surgical techniques to transform flesh and achieve results that are pleasing to the eye of the beholder.

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Breast Augmentation: Is the Price Right?

When canvassing fees for breast augmentation, the uninformed patient often wonders why fees vary significantly from one surgeon to another. They often assume that it is only the professional fees of the surgeons that vary. Actually, there are a number of variables to consider when evaluating breast augmentation surgery package fees.

First of all, what kind of implant will the plastic surgeon use? There are many different kinds of implants available with corresponding prices, so make sure you aren't getting the basic, most affordable kind if you are paying a relatively high price. Most popular in the Philippines are the silicone gel implants (these are not silicone gel injections which I wrote about in a previous blog). Most of the breast implants available in the Philippines come from 3 countries: China, France, and Ireland. The most affordable implants come from China. These implants are of good quality and have been chosen by many of my patients who have limited budgets.

In the middle of the price range are the cohesive-gel implants made by McGhan corporation in Ireland and another European company, the Eurosilicone company from France. Top of the line anatomical cohesive-gel implants with multi-layered silicone shells, also made by the McGhan are on the high end of breast implant prices. So for implants alone, there is already wide range of costs.

Then, find out if the package fees include, aside from the professional fee of the surgeon, the professional fee of the anesthesiologist, cost of implants, medications and operating room expenses for either outpatient or hospital based surgery. When on a budget, you can save on operating room expenses by choosing to have your surgery done in a well equipped outpatient clinic. But for your safety and to ensure the success of your surgery, make sure you don't scrimp on the essentials: a skilled and experienced surgeon with an equally experienced anesthesiologist.

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Augmentation Rhinoplasty

One of the most popular cosmetic procedures for Asians in augmentation rhinoplasty. Many Filipinos, especially those who reside in countries like the United States, the U.K., and countries in Europe, where nose bridges are commonly very high, get a boost of self-confidence and feel more attractive when they have their noses surgically enhanced. Indeed, since the nose occupies the prominent central area of the face, it determines to a major extent whether the face is considered attractive or not, and a higher nose bridge makes a big difference in the overall balance and appearance of the face.

A big difference, yes, but unfortunately, not always a positive difference. Augmentation rhinoplasty is a deceptively simple operation. Thus, many doctors who have not had special training in plastic surgery think they can easily do it well. After all, what could be so difficult about placing an implant to increase the bridge of the nose?

As any well trained and experienced plastic surgeon can explain, rhinoplasty is one of the most delicate plastic surgery operations. Everyone has a different nose and the plastic surgeon should evaluate the structure of your nasal bones and cartilage, the shape of your face, your skin, and your age since these factors influence his decisions about what techniques to use for the surgery to get the desired result.

Although rhinoplasty usually takes only an hour or two, this operation is difficult to learn and difficult to perform well. A skillful surgeon knows where to make incisions so that they will be practically invisible after healing. With proper technique, scar tissue doesn't interfere with achieving the desired results. A skillful surgeon also knows where to make incisions to minimize the amount of bleeding during the operation. The surgeon can have better results when there is less bleeding because he can clearly see what needs to be done. An experienced surgeon also knows how to minimize intraoperative swelling. Swelling can make it hard for the surgeon to see what the nose's final shape will be and what needs to be done during surgery.

Not only does the plastic surgeon need to be an expert on the "science" of this operation, he must also be an artist. There is so much artistry involved in the planning and execution of this operation. The best plastic surgeons carve an implant especially for each patient in the right size and shape to create a new nose that will look natural. Your surgeon must have a fine aesthetic sense such that the surgical results of your nose operation will appear natural and unnoticeable. The new nose should look like it "fits" together with the rest of your features.

With this need for surgical skills, aesthetic judgement, sense of beauty, and an ability to visualize the end result, untrained doctors find out that augmentation rhinoplasty isn't so easy after all.

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Cheap Plastic Surgery, Anyone?

Type "cheap plastic surgery" in Google Suggest's search box and you'll see that so many people are searching for plastic surgery that is CHEAP. Price is definitely a factor when considering elective surgery and deciding to have cosmetic surgery is not the same as having "no choice" surgeries like appendectomies.

But any surgery is still surgery and has some uncertainty and risk involved, no matter what a "cheap" plastic surgeon says. When price is the primary factor for choosing a plastic surgeon, risks increase. Like most things in life, quality doesn't come cheaply. The success of your surgery is largely dependent on your choice of surgeon and professional qualifications and experience should be your main consideration in selecting your plastic surgeon. Even when you go to popular clinics where a number of surgeons practice as a group, take a look at the qualifications of the particular surgeon who will be handling your case.

Good plastic surgeons may charge relatively affordable fees, especially if they practice in Asian countries like the Philippines, where cost of living expenses are low and if they can keep overhead costs low by having modest outpatient surgery clinics. But think twice if the surgeon you're considering charges much lower than other plastic surgeons in the same country. Especially if the procedure to be done is in the face, like a rhinoplasty (nose surgery), blepharoplasty (eye surgery) or rhytidectomy (face lift), you could end up having to stare at your cheap plastic surgeon's mistakes in the mirror every day. No wonder there are also so many searches made for "awful plastic surgery".

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Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Philippines
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