Plastic Surgery In Mexico

Who in their right mind would go to Mexico for plastic surgery? After all, isn?t it a third world country?

Mexico is not exactly a first world country, but, at least in its metropolitan areas, it is far from a third world country.

It is also home to a fine medical school at the University of Guadalajara, where a lot of American students receive their medical degrees. Guadalajara is also the location of the prestigious Institute of Reconstructive Surgery which has been educating physicians from around the world in the latest surgical techniques for over 35 years.

Guadalajara alone has more than 75 certified plastic surgeons and most of the hospital facilities are first rate. Another benefit is the culture of care you will find in Mexico. Unlike most US doctors who seem to be in an eternal rush to get their patients out of their offices, in Mexico doctors spend time listening to their patients? needs and responding to their concerns.

Most of the doctors in Mexico speak at least a little English. Many of them have taken graduate courses or have done their internships and/or residencies in the States. Some are Board Certified by US licensing agencies.

In addition to Guadalajara, there are many fine plastic surgeons in Mexico City and the northern city of Monterrey. There are also many clinics along the Texas, Arizona and California borders, but there you are taking a bigger chance that the care will not be first rate. If you are considering a border clinic, take extra care in checking out the physicians and the facilities.

The cost of a face lift in Guadalajara is about $2500 US. A full suite of services including lifting the eyelids and forehead will run about $6000. These include your hospital or clinic stays.

Even Botox injections are substantially cheaper.

There are services such as Airlift, Inc., which is owned by a nurse, which arrange everything for you, from your flight down, your accommodations while in the county and the doctor, nursing and hospital fees.

In many cases, you can arrange to recuperate in a pleasant facility with round the clock nursing care. By the time most of the swelling and bruising are under control, you will be ready to return home with your new look.

There is a downside however. One of the reasons US care is so expensive is malpractice lawsuits. One of the reasons that Mexican procedures are so cheap is that malpractice is not recognized in Mexico. So, if something does go wrong, you will have no recourse.

However, thousands of Americans, Canadian and even residents of South America flock to Mexico every year for face lifts and other cosmetic procedures. I have been living part time in Mexico for over nine years and have many friends who have had successful surgeries.

Check out the credentials of any physician you are considering carefully, Try to get references. If possible visit one of these cities beforehand so that you can become familiar with the facilities available and you can meet with some of the plastic surgeons.

There is a large ex-patriot community in and around these cities. You can always find help and references by visiting with some of these residents, who are among the biggest consumers of this type of care.

If you have a little sense of adventure and wish to save thousands of dollars on cosmetic surgery, Mexico might be the place for you.

For more information on plastic surgery, visit http://www.ageless-beauty.com/ antiaging-cosmetic-procedures.html

Jean Bowler was a ballet dancer and instructor, a teacher, a personal trainer and a cosmetics consultant. She is editor of Ageless Beauty.

Do It Yourself Non-Surgical Facelift

I?m the first to investigate a new anti-aging product or procedure, and have been for the last twenty years. Sometimes I?ve even gone so far as to indulge myself with the promise of eternal youth. So either the earth?s gravitational pull is getting stronger or raising children has finally taken its toll. Here I am, middle aged and wondering what?s the next thing to ?go south.?

I?m an esthetician with all the tools of the trade. I have all the gizmos and gadgets that when used regularly will minimize the effects of aging. So why don?t I use them on myself? Because it seems that there is never enough time.

With all the new technology such as lasers, thermage, microcurrent and magic lotions and potions, there is always a cost. It might be the price, the risks or the inconvenience. What if there was something you could do in the privacy of your own home for as little as 10 minutes a day. I know, I?m beginning to sound like an informercial but the claims are that there really are things you can do that can help get that youthful jawline and line free forehead back. Would you be willing to give 10 minutes a day for a few weeks to try it and see for yourself?

Facial exercises have been around for ages. Now it makes sense that toned muscles are firm muscles and that goes for the face as well as the body. As we age the underlying muscles of the face become flaccid and are less able to support the skin that is attached to them. While there is a lot that can be done to tighten and firm the skin, it is the underlying muscles, that when toned and tightened, make the biggest difference.

My first experience with facial exercise was with Greer Childers in her exercise program, ?Body Flex.? She based her technique of the premise that oxygenation of the tissue keeps it young and vibrant. She had me doing the ?Lion? and the ?Ugly Face? (appropriately named) where I would get into position and pull these horrible grotesque faces and hope to high heaven no one walked in on me. She promised me that while everyone else was trying to ?smooth the wrinkles out of their face we will have the last laugh because we will already be there.?

Then came Ellae Elinwood with her book, ?Timeless Face.? This is a book I got not only for myself, but for my clients to prolong the effects of their facial treatment. Ellae has twenty three facial exercises that you do in front of the mirror....alone... or with a group of five year olds for entertainment.

Another favorite is ?Facelift at you Fingertips,? by Pierre Jean Cousin. I really like this book and incorporate a lot of the techniques in my facials. This book focuses primarily on acupressure points, massage and aromatherapy. By stimulating acupressure points in the face by massage or gentle tapping, you increase the flow of energy, increase circulation and improve muscle tone.

Now I don?t know about the facial gadgets you put in your mouth to help exercise and tone the muscles. Besides the sanitation issue, I question the effectiveness. The only thing I will put repeatedly in my mouth is my tooth brush.

One company sells a workout ball and a towel to heat and warm up the face before exercise. I guess this is so you don?t pull an orbicular oris muscle during your workout.

The most important exercise you can do to improve the face is to smile. Have you ever noticed how people who smile more tend to have a definite jaw line. If jowls are your problem try looking in the mirror and then smile and watch how the jowls disappear. Smiling can relieve stress and tension and help you feel better. Your smile will have an affect on others when they see you smiling. You can even use surgical tape while you sleep to keep that smile in place.

Incorporate these facial exercises into your daily exercise routine and you can be firm and toned head to toe.

Janice Bird is an author, an empowerment coach and a master esthetician. You can subscribe to her newsletter, Breakthrough Beauty Secrets, by going to http://breakthroughbeautysecrets.com/. Find out more about Janice, her articles and products at http://janicebird.com/

A Sons Journey into the World of Non Surgical Facelifts

My mother dropped a bombshell, she said she had decided to go for a full surgical facelift. My dad and I were stunned, we didn't think there was anything wrong with mums' face, we'd seen it for years and it was OK, but I guess she had read just one Hollywood celebrity article too many and had decided that it was time to address the march of time.

My dad was quite upset. I am not sure if he was thinking about the cost, the danger of surgery or the fact that my mum might be thinking about toy boys. Anyway I decided to do some research into it and found a whole world of different facelifting techniques.

Apart from the knife, there is laser and a large category known as non surgical face lifts which include face peels, some sort of radio waves that only burn about 6% of their customers, injections of some sort of toxic fluid, anti aging creams and facial exercises.

Out the whole range of weird and wonderful methods, I thought that facial exercises seemed the most benign, although it would take the most commitment from the patient. I was not sure if it wouldn't be better seeing my mum come home with a new face and a few stitches and bruises for a few days, than having to endure her going around pulling faces all the time, like some extra in a Three Stooges movie but I persisted.

On closer examination there is another vast world of facial exercises, some free, some you pay for, all guaranteeing to make the face look younger, fitter or better. Some come with celebrity endorsements or an 'as seen on TV' tag or calling it yoga for the face, it was all quite baffling.

Then I came across a site called Facialwizard at www.facialwizard.yourpower2be.com/facialwizardprogram.html , maybe it was the name, but I decided to have a look and I must say that I was surprised at what they had to offer. As well as the facial exercises, it included acupoint massage which is like acupuncture but instead of sticking needles into the specific points, you massage there. As I had received acupuncture for a motorcycle injury I knew it was good stuff, so I was impressed.

Another part of the program is called magnet therapy, which I noted incurred extra expenditure to take full advantage of its' benefits but I have heard of sports guys using it to recover from injuries faster, so I figured if they use it must be good.

The final part of this program is called EFT (emotional freedom technique) which they say will not only help you to keep doing your exercises but will also improve your life, get rid of any traumas and generally make you feel good. Now this part had me a little worried, but I knew my mum might have a problem keeping up with her daily exercises. She had joined a gym but couldn't be bothered to keep going and had taken up any number of things up but got bored with them.

I went over to Gary Craigs' website to find out about this EFT and it was really amazing just what this EFT can do.

That I think, clinched it for me, so like the guy in the Charles Atlas adverts I gambled a mere $25 and got the download, which came with 5 free other neat things that my mum really liked, which turned out to be one of the best birthday presents she ever had as the e-book is incredibly stylish.

Now she is looking really great and says she is feeling really good, my dad is still a bit worried about toyboys but she is getting him to use the program as well so he can compete.

This Facialwizard is really the best of the facial exercise programs, given all the extras it includes.

The weirdest thing is that I had a toothache one day and my mum used that EFT on me and it disappeared. I will be investigating this further.

Ian Richards started writing many years ago on Frizz Newspaper for hair, fashion and the beautifull people, in London. He also wrote the astrology column for the teen magazine Starstruck. He then became an international press photographer but has now returned to his writing roots.