Bookings for surgery in this key demographic doubled during the last year and non surgical treatments such as Botox are up 51% year on year. For the more competitive of us, cosmetic surgery may be an option we’ve been considering for years and at times like these the extra pressure may act as a catalyst.

It seems that even men are jumping on board now and many young professionals are turning to non surgical treatments such as Botox and dermal filling to turn back the clock and keep them one step ahead of the competition. Despite the fact that the credit crunch is forcing many to cut back in key areas, many of us now see our appearance and specifically, the maintenance of our youthful looks, as being an essential spend.

Once you move into the 45+ age group you may wish to consider the facelift – a procedure that’s been round for many years and one that is certainly a tried and tested method. As our skin loses its elasticity and the effects of gravity become apparent, our face sags and a facelift can help by removing excess skin and fat and in the process restoring our fresh faced and youthful appearance that can be so important in the workplace of today.

If you are considering cosmetic surgery procedures in the UK such as facelift surgery you should seek an accredited surgeon who is registered with BAPRAS or BAAPS to ensure this plastic surgery runs smoothly.

“This holiday season has brought a huge surge in our business. As compared to last year, we at Cosmetic Harmony see a 300% increase in reservations of holiday seasons. People who were held back due to the credit crunch in the market are now ready to go for a vacation and at the same time undergo a cosmetic surgery treatment. Medical-tourism is gaining popularity day-by-day and it is a sensible option to obtain a low cost, high quality medical treatment along with a relaxing and rejuvenating vacation. Currently Cosmetic Harmony has only a few December and January holiday season reservations left. We have never seen such a busy holiday. It is definitely a positive sign for our business. It adds up to our company’s growth and profitability and is spreading smiles across all our surgeons”, says Anthony Giudice, Vice-President of Sales of Cosmetic Harmony.

Cosmetic Harmony is a leading medical-tourism company based in Bogota, Colombia. It provides world-class medical facilities at cheaper rates. All its plastic surgeons are Board certified, highly qualified professional doctors. They have a busy schedule this holiday season as people from all over the world are booking their cosmetic surgery packages with the end of the current recession. “Not only is our company experiencing a boom in the market, but Colombia as a country is also growing. The market is showing positive signs and there will be a progress in all the activities in Colombia. We are very proud of our surgeons who are ready to work hard this holiday season. It is due to their quality work that satisfies our patients and we are experiencing this surge in business. We are highly obliged to all our team members and patients who have continuously given a remarkable growth percentage and profits”, Anthony Giudice signs off.

For more information on Cosmetic Harmony:

 Visit: http://www.affordableplasticcosmeticsurgeryincolombia.com

About Cosmetic Harmony:

Cosmetic Harmony is a medical tourism company specializing in complete cosmetic surgery packages, including cosmetic procedures, travel, accommodations, transportation to medical appointments, a bilingual personal assistant and medications.

Cosmetic Harmony’s Affiliate program,

http://affiliates.affordableplasticcosmeticsurgeryincolombia.com/Login.aspx

Contact:

Anthony Giudice, Vice President of Sales

305.726.0527

Cosmetic Harmony

1. Are you certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery?

Perhaps the most important question you can ask relates directly to your doctor’s qualifications. In some cases, doctors perform procedures that are outside of their specialty area. In order to be certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, a doctor must complete an additional residency that typically lasts between six to eight years. This rigorous training helps ensure that your doctor has the skills, qualifications and experience to provide the best possible results.

2. What are your safety and success rates?

Once you are sure your doctor has the knowledge, credentials and experience to perform your liposuction surgery, you should inquire about his or her safety record and success rates. While your doctor may not be able to provide exact number, you should be given a fairly accurate estimate of your doctor’s safety record. Additionally, your doctor should be able to give details on past patient successes, as well as difficulties or complications that have affected previous patients.

3. How much experience do you have performing this procedure?

Another important question to ask relates directly to the number of times your doctor has performed liposuction in the past. All doctors perform a variety of procedures, which means that your doctor may have more experience with certain types of surgeries. You want to be certain that your doctor performs liposuction procedures regularly. If a potential surgeon only performs liposuction occasionally, you may want to look for a doctor that specializes in this type of surgery.

4. How long will the recovery process take?

In addition to knowing how qualified your doctor is, you also need to have a solid understanding of the liposuction procedure itself. You will need to plan for the days and weeks following your surgery, which is why it is so important to talk to your doctor about the recover process. Your doctor should provide clear guidelines about how long it will be before you can return to normal activities, how much post-operative pain you will experience and how much care you will need after the procedure.

5. What results can I expect?

While there are never any exact guarantees with cosmetic procedures, your liposuction surgeon should be able to give you an indication of the type of results you can expect. Discuss this carefully with your doctor prior to the surgery. If your doctor promises results that seem unrealistic, then they probably are. Skilled and experienced doctors will be more conservative in their estimates.

How then can we find the right surgeon? Well, its very wise to do some initial research which can be done on the internet. Make a list of some potential surgeries and then by all means give them a phone call and ask a few other questions. Once thats done and you have a few ideas, next thing to do is talk with the surgeon and the clinic staff. Here are a few things to note:

* What are the end results you are looking for? You need to know this obviously well before you discuss things with any surgical practitioner, so its good to read about the potential op and have a look at some before and after pictures.

* Assess then who will be the best choice to do your procedure for you. The best way to do this once you have a small list of options is to go and visit the clinics and meet the staff and the potential surgeon. The surgeon should take the time to sit with you and discuss the procedure and answer any questions you have and meet any concerns too.

The final choice you make should be a board-certified practitioner and an active member of at least one relevant professional body. By this, they will be keeping up to date with the best surgical techniques and new technology in the industry. Skill levels vary depending on age and the number of ops completed of course, but thats not to say there are many highly skilled younger professionals around.

* When you visit a few surgeries, if you can, ask to see some before and after photographs of relevant procedures carried out by your potential surgeon. This is a must, so each surgeon should be very happy for you to see photos.

You can then compare one to another and see what you like and what you do not.

Just by following the above points will make this whole process that much less stressful. After all, its very time consuming, can be very expensive and can indeed also change your whole life. Get things off to a good start and you will be very thankful you did.

It is entirely possible to have your plastic surgery performed in an accredited hospital but you can incur higher plastic surgery costs than if you choose a surgical facility. Regardless of whether you are having facial cosmetic surgery or reconstructive surgery, there are a number of criteria a facility should meet and much of the information is at your fingertips.

Certification and Accreditation

Before having plastic surgery you should know which kinds of certifications and accreditation the facility should have. There are numerous certifications and accreditation a facility needs in order to be considered a safe facility. Among the certifications a facility can receive is a certification to practice in the Medicare program. Other accreditations include the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF) or the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). These Associations continually monitor, inspect, and report on Surgical Facilities across the United States. Their primary function is to ensure that each facility listed with them has gone through the proper channels to be a top-notch facility for plastic surgery care. Much of this information can be located on the Internet through the association’s website or contacting them by phone.

Conduct an Interview

Besides looking certifications up on the Internet, you can schedule either a face to face interview with the Facility Director, or a phone interview. Either way, the director should be able to answer some questions. The most common questions include:

*Is the facility accredited or certified?

*Is the doctor board certified and accredited as well?

*What types of anesthesia is the facility certified to use?

*Are the other personnel in the operating room certified in their field?

You will also want to know note during your discussion with the director his or her licensing and certification as well. The director should also be a certified board plastic surgeon, and be able to provide their certification information if requested. Any director who cannot answer those questions or willingly give the information you requested, including dates of last inspections is considered to be a red flag and should further be investigated at the state level before choosing that plastic surgery facility.

Safety in the Surgical Facility

The safety and ease of your procedure should be your number one concern. The plastic surgery facility should not only be licensed by the state but there are strict safety standards which it must adhere to in order to stay licensed at the local, state and federal levels. As anyone knows, sanitation is an important factor in maintaining a safe surgical environment. However, the state and federal regulations also require the building itself to be current on building codes, OSHA standards, hazardous waste standards and fire safety.

The skin wrinkles and sags as a result of normal aging, sun exposure or genetics. The face lift procedure is ideal for those with prominent wrinkles who are in good health and want to regain their youthful and beautiful appearance. The face lift procedure often improves the patient’s self-esteem and confidence, helping them to enjoy more satisfying social and professional relationships.

Rhytidectomy or face lift surgery, as it is better known, does not stop the aging process. It does however restore a younger and fresher looking facial appearance that can turn back the clock ten or more years. The face lift procedure tightens the skin and the underlying muscles of the face and removes excess fat, producing a total facial rejuvenation.

The face lift procedure can be done alone or in combination with other procedures such as eyelid surgery, forehead lift, or nose reshaping. A face lift is an out-patient procedure performed in a day-surgery center under general anesthesia where the patient is put to sleep. The procedure itself may take several hours and longer if other procedures are performed at the same time. The results of a face lift can be dramatic and generally last about ten years.

Who is a Suitable Candidate?

• Men and women with sagging skin in the face and neck
• People with excessive skin in the neck and/or a drooping jaw line.
• Those who have good skin elasticity which will aid in healing and improve results.
• Those with a well-defined bone structure for providing support.
• Patients should be in overall good health as this will facilitate proper healing and recovery.

Precautions prior to surgery

• Patients who smoke are advised to stop prior to surgery. Smoking restricts the flow of blood which can impede the healing process.
• Blood thinners like ibuprofen, vitamin E and aspirin should be avoided weeks before the surgery.
• Hair should be washed thoroughly the day before face lift surgery.
• Alcohol should be avoided.
• Patients should get a good night’s sleep prior to their procedure.

The Face Lift Procedure

The cosmetic surgeon makes an incision above the hairline and then separates the facial skin from the underlying tissue. Excess fat is removed and surrounding muscles are tightened to improve the facial contours. The skin is then elevated to achieve a more youthful look. The treated area is then wrapped in bandages.

The training and experience of the plastic surgeon performing the face lift procedure directly influences the success of the surgery. The experience and credentials of the surgeon is directly related to the outcome. Patients are advised to choose experienced, board certified cosmetic surgeons as this assures an acceptable level of competency, experience and training.

Many people are choosing Naples Florida as an ideal destination for their face lift procedure. Sunny Florida in a tropical setting along the Gulf Coast is a comfortable, beautiful and serene location for convalescence. There are many great choices for cosmetic surgeons in Naples, Florida.

Lipoplasty is a cosmetic surgery procedure that is designed to remove localized areas of extra fatty tissue. The procedure can be performed on several areas of the body including the chest, neck, face, back, hips, abdomen, legs, and arms. Lipoplasty is not a weight loss procedure, but rather it is a body contouring procedure. The surgery is designed to address those areas of extra fatty tissue that are resistant to exercise and dieting. The best candidate is near or at their ideal body weight and is in good physical condition. The tumescent technique is utilized by some board certified cosmetic surgeons when they perform liposuction. Your board certified plastic surgeon will help you determine if you are or are not a good candidate for liposuction when you have your consultation with him or her.

Abdominoplasty surgery is a procedure that is designed to contour a person’s abdomen. This will be accomplished by a cosmetic surgeon removing extra fat and skin as well as tightening the patient’s abdominal muscles. An abdominoplasty is not designed as a weight loss procedure, and the optimal results are achieved in patients who are near or at their ideal body weight. An ideal candidate for tummy tuck surgery is a person who has lost a significant amount of weight or a woman who has had children. The best candidate will also be in good physical condition. The technique that the plastic surgeon chooses to use will depend on several variables. These will be discussed, again, during the consultation.

The contouring of one’s body after massive weight loss is designed to address the extra skin that has developed after a patient loses a large amount of weight. Despite the exercise and weight loss, the stretched out skin will often not adequately shrink back. This can sometimes lead to difficulties in finding clothes that correctly fit, exercising, and also problems dealing with hygiene and discouragement that the full transformation is incomplete. The areas that are most often addressed include the arms, thighs, buttock, and abdomen.

The biggest complaint of cosmetic surgery is that the end result is not what the patient had envisaged. Many people will also experience scarring, wrinkled or puckered skin, or oddly shaped body parts. In some extreme cases, further surgery may be required to correct defects which happen due to the original surgery. These complications may mean you need to spend more money, and this is something which can be difficult to arrange aboard.

Many people are opting to go abroad for their plastic surgery – not only do they get a holiday, they are away from their friends and family so they cannot see what they have had done, and the costs are often far cheaper than in their home country. However, in many places that are rapidly becoming medical tourist hotspots, the cosmetic surgery industry is not well regulated.

So, if you are planning on becoming a medical tourist, what is the best way to go about it? Generally speaking, countries at the more expensive end of the scale (UK, US, Australia, South Africa, Canada, Spain etc) will be well-regulated and there will be less chance of having a poor surgeon. As you start to go towards the cheaper end of the scale, more caution is needed.

ComseticSurgeryBible.com’s top tips are:

1. Rely on word of mouth and make sure the recommendations are impartial. Do not be fooled by sleek advertising – do your research thoroughly. Adverts can be incredibly misleading.
2. Never look for surgery on price alone. If something looks much cheaper than anywhere else, steer well clear. Check what is included in the price – some prices may be for surgery alone and not take post-operative expenses into account. You don’t want to be hit with a surprise bill during your recovery!
3. Check that your prospective surgeon is qualified and certified. Try and establish the credentials of the board that issued his certificates.
4. Ensure your prospective surgeon speaks good English, or has a good translator on hand – you will want to know exactly what will happen to you, and the surgeon should be able to answer all your questions
5. Insist on a face-to-face consultation with the surgeon before agreeing to any procedure. This will help make sure you have full faith in the surgeon before he operates – if you have any doubts, do not go ahead with surgery
6. Check what post-operative care is available. Check how often the surgeon will see you and if you will require any check-ups in the future. Ask what happens if you experience any complications once you get home. Ask if you need to return for further operations whether the surgeon will do them free of charge.

Of course, you have a of help in making these assessments, although you should do as much personal investigating as possible, including doctor consultations and visits to the outpatient surgery centers you are considering. Although there are numerous factors to consider, the following five criteria will help make your decision a bit easier, and steer you in the right direction for other information.

1. As previously stated, when choosing a plastic surgeon there are a number of factors to be considered, but medical training and surgical experience are still the first qualifications you want to establish. The first step is to interview the surgeons. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about where they went to school, where they did their internships and residencies, etc. If you want to look into a doctor’s credentials a bit further, and find out about any past or pending malpractice judgments and/or disciplinary actions, just call, visit or log on to the Web site of your state’s medical association.

2. Although there is no one factor that can guarantee you’re getting the best doctor for the procedure you want, board certification is usually an indication that surgeons are involved in ongoing education in their specialties. Not all societies or boards are the same, so you will need to research these as well. There are three major boards related to plastic surgery:

a. The American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) certifies doctors in plastic surgery on the entire body. These surgeons have the highest levels of training, as well as the highest standards of certification for plastic surgery done anywhere on the body, including breast augmentation, reconstructive surgery and facelifts.

b. The American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ABFPRS) restricts its certification to doctors performing facial plastic/reconstructive and cosmetic surgery. The board certifies that the doctors are expert in procedures specifically involving the head, face and neck.

c. The American Board of Otolaryngology (ABO) provides certification to surgeons specializing in otolaryngology, meaning conditions and diseases of the eyes, ears, nose, throat, head and neck.

For any questions about a doctor’s board certification, you should visit the Web site of the American Board of Medical Specialties at www.abms.org. This group has 24 different boards as members, which offer doctors certification in almost 90 different special practices.

3. Each doctor’s individual practice should be looked at carefully. You should ask to speak with former patients, ask about any recent negative outcomes, talk to the medical staff and check out the doctor’s business ethics record with the Chamber of Commerce or Better Business Bureau. Also keep the doctor’s actual patient pool in mind. If you discover that the doctor performs primarily cosmetic procedures or laser hair removal, you may wish to extend your search if you are contemplating eye surgery or a complex reconstruction of some kind.

4. Some plastic surgeries are performed in a hospital, but more and more often they are performed in a surgeon’s office, surgical center or other facility. Any facility other than a hospital at which surgery takes place has to maintain quality standards set by the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF). You can confirm that a particular facility is accredited with a quick visit to the Surgery Facilities section of the AAAAS Web page.

5. Because hospital privileges require that a physician’s ability be reviewed by his peers, it is essential that you ask the doctor about his standing at local and regional hospitals. You can also contact these hospitals directly, and ask about the doctor’s privileges, as well as what procedures those privileges cover. A doctor could have privileges for cosmetic procedures but not be certified to use the laser equipment, or the other way around. Make sure you get the exact information about what the hospital and its physicians consider the doctor’s strengths, as well as any possible weaknesses.

In the final analysis, it is up to you to determine which doctor is best suited to help you achieve you unique goals and expectations.