Beauty for Sale
By Mikee dela Cruz

The story, seeming like an urban myth, even made it to the pages of Asiaweek Magazine: a wealthy Filipino executive in his 60s took his mistress to a plastic surgeon to make her look like his wife when he married her.  Unknowingly, the wife went to the same doctor to undergo cosmetic surgery herself, in a bid to keep her husband.  After all the nipping and tucking, the wealthy husband left his mistress to return to the surgically rejuvenated wife – but only after undergoing surgery himself, as he started feeling insecure about his own aging appearance.

In a society that is willing to pay the top price for a youthful look, over $160 billion is spent annually worldwide on cosmetic and toiletry products, including deodorants, shampoos and soaps, makeup, lotions, and fragrances.  In 2002, Filipinos spent P70 billion for the same, with the figure estimated to reach P89 billion in 2007. 
However, more belatedly, cosmetic surgery has become the somewhat simple, yet long-term answer to the pursuit for beauty.  Having a hard time losing the gut despite hundreds of sit-ups every day?  Opt for abdominal liposuction (price starts at $1,400).  There are even muscle implants for the gym body without ever lifting a gym equipment.  Losing hair too fast?  Consider hair transplant (from $1,500).  Insecure about your manhood?  Have a penile enlargement and/or lengthening operation (from $450).  For women, the vaginal opening can be tightened (from $550) for another “Like a Virgin” experience.  Getting edged by younger guys simply because they look better – and, well, younger?  Mull over facelift (from $1,000).  And, while doing so, you may consider adding a dimple and a cleft chin (from $360) for the Brad Pitt/Alec Baldwin look.

Once derided as vanity medicine, cosmetic surgery has gone a long way, as it is now largely recognized as a legitimate arm of medicine.  While it was once only discussed in hushed voices, now anybody who underwent one or more cosmetic surgical procedures actually boasts of having them – men and women alike.
According to former Philippine Medical Association (PMA) president Bu C. Castro, M.D., Ll.B., FPSP, the Philippines is actually a premier destination when it comes to availing of cosmetic surgical procedures, among others.  In fact, balikbayans (returning overseas Filipinos) are known to come home to undergo such treatments  “Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), especially those in the entertainment industry, (are among the biggest markets of cosmetic surgery in the Philippines, as it allows them) to level with their competitors, particularly Caucasians, (by giving them similar physical attributes),” he says.

Plastic and reconstructive surgeon Carlos I. Lasa Jr., M.D. agrees.  “First, comparing (our costs with) the costs (of medical treatment) where they are working right now, say in London or New York or Japan, where the charges are very high, they can save by coming here,” he says.  The balikbayans are also familiar with the Philippine medical system, so they “have more or less this trust in our medical system.”  And third, the treatments are merely side trips when they come over to take a vacation, so their visit becomes one trip for everything.

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES

The general acceptability of cosmetic surgery helped spawn an industry all its own – medical tourism, which pits the medical practitioners of developed countries, once regarded as the elite bastions of medical expertise, with the developing countries, now also offering highly qualified and well-trained medical professionals using the most advanced in technology. 

“This is a $4 billion industry, which is said to be growing at a 30% rate per annum,” Eddie Uy of rxpinoy.com, the first online community of Filipino doctors and dentists that serves to connect various sectors with the health industry, says.  Combined with affiliated industries like tourism, India's BusinessWorld Magazine estimated that millions of travelers actually spend over $40 billion a year.  “We should – and can – break into that.”

The local industry has been changing over time, however.  According to Uy, although OFWs continue to be the major market of cosmetic procedures, their portal had been receiving inquiries on these procedures from Europeans, particularly from Germany and Denmark.  Also, other procedures mainly attract foreign nationals, such as Australians for dentistry, Japanese and Koreans for ophthalmology, and Americans and Europeans for bariatric surgery.

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