Plastic Surgery on 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 - http://www.ageless-beauty.com

Facial Exercises - A Facelift Without The Pain

No need to be worried by sagging jowls, crow's feet or frown lines ? even if you hate the thought of surgery. Facial exercise can help you look younger without the pain and expense of a facelift.

Facial exercise is the non-invasive approach to lifting and toning your facial features. Exercising the muscles under your skin increases the amount of oxygen to the facial muscles and helps rejuvenate the cells, giving your face a younger and healthier appearance.

Doing the right facial exercises regularly can lift and tone your whole face - including your chin, cheeks, and eyebrows - and what's more, it should take no more than just a few minutes of your day. It's never too early to start - even if you are under 40 - you should start facial exercises to maintain the great muscle tone you have for as long as possible.

To understand just how facial exercise works, you first need to understand what wrinkles and lines are. You may assume that wrinkles are the result of the skin stretching - but the truth is that skin wrinkles when the underlying muscle weakens and is no longer able to offer support. The result - sagging skin, bags, lines and wrinkles.

Unlike other muscles in your body, the muscles of your face are connected to both the skin and the bone, forming a cushion for the skin to rest on. It's when your face muscles start to lose their tone that wrinkles and lines appear. Facial exercise ? like any other exercise - can tone up those muscles resulting in smoother, healthier looking skin.

You may be worried that facial exercise may actually cause wrinkles because of the repeated facial movement. This is a popular misconception that simply isn't true. With regular facial exercise you strengthen the underlying muscle which will improve your appearance, defining facial features and making you look much younger.

It is important to remember, though, that just as with any other kind of exercise, facial exercise can cause problems if you don't do them properly. You need to learn how to do each exercise by following clear diagrams and instructions, attending a class or watching a video.

While facial exercises do lift your face - the results aren't as dramatic as a surgical facelift. Do the exercises regularly though and the difference in your face may be enough to make people think you've had cosmetic surgery.

And there are some big advantages over cosmetic surgery. Unlike cosmetic surgery facial exercising won't cost you a lot of money. Nor will you need to undergo a second painful and expensive procedure after 5-10 years as gravity undoes the surgeon's work.

Facial exercise - like any form of physical exercise - brings extra oxygen to the skin's surface reducing toxins and enhancing the delivery of essential nutrients. The result is more youthful looking skin that glows. You certainly won't get that from cosmetic surgery.

Of course you do have to build in time to do your facial exercises into your day. To start with if your face muscles are seriously weakened it may take you a little while to bring back tone and develop muscle mass. Just like going to the gym after you've neglected your body for a long time.

Once your face is toned and lifted and your face muscles are at their optimum strength then it should take no more than half an hour two or three times a week to maintain your new youthful look. Not a lot of time to spend on looking younger ? and the results will last as long as you want them to.

Eileen Gravelle is an author and web publisher who writes extensively on all aspects of anti aging including non-surgical facelifts through facial exercise. Eileen's website: Simply Anti Aging is a complete anti aging resource with articles, practical advice. product reviews and celebrity features for women in their forties and beyond who want to look younger and feel great as they get older.

The Meditational Face-lift

The benefits of daily meditations prove innumerous. Meditation can improve your concentration level and allow you to make better decisions. But just by changing the position in which you meditate, you can turn your daily healing mantra into a natural face-lift treatment.

Normally you would sit in an upright position to meditate. Now, to maximize the beautifying potential of your daily meditationals try this:

1. Gently rotate your neck in circles for one minute. Then roll your shoulders forward and then backwards for one minute. The point of these mini exercises is to relax your neck. It is almost impossible to relax your face and enjoy a natural facelift with a tense neck.

2. Next, lie on your bed and place your neck over the edge of the bed. Granted, your spiritual guru may argue against such a position fearing that you will doze off, but you can handle this.

3. Now, commence your daily meditation in this position with your head tilting downward. Remain in this position for no more that five minutes to avoid a head rush and feeling dizzy.

4. Once your arise from this position, repeat the neck and shoulder mini exercises.

Tilting your head downwards for five minutes offers several face-lifting benefits:

a. The downward position helps counter the daily pull of gravity on your skin- even if it is for just five minutes.

b. The position brings more blood to your face so that excess toxins and excess fatty acids can get transported away from your face. Puffy eyes and a double chin will certainly benefit from the removal of unwanted circulating fats.

c. Psychologically, placing yourself in a new position or a new orientation helps alter your mode of thinking. When you alter your thinking models, your brain cells work in new ways- a process that keeps you mentally young and sharp.

Now, your meditational face-lift is done. Use daily for optimal results.

Naweko San-Joyz founded Noixia- a self-service image makeover company based in San Diego. Noixia creates custom acne scar removal products for the face and body. San-Joyz has authored several books and articles that focus on do-it-yourself beauty makeovers including ?Acne Messages: Crack the code of your zits and say goodbye to acne? and ?Skinny Fat Chicks: Why we?re still not getting this dieting thing?. San-Joyz lives and works in San Diego, California.