Giving the West a new face

Not so long ago, Poles considered plastic surgery an exclusive procedure reserved for the elite in far-away New York or Hollywood. Now cosmetic and corrective surgery is big business. Over the last few years the number of clinics carrying out cosmetic surgery has mushroomed from a few dozen to around 200.

Through the nose

For Poles however, the treatments these clinics offer are not cheap. The cost of breast enlargement, including the patient's stay in the clinic, on average amounts to zł.9,000. "Using more expensive implants could raise the price to well over zł.10,000," Dr Elżbieta Barańska from NZOZ Chirurgia Plastyczna in Słubice said. Dr Andrzej Dmytrzak, a reconstruction and plastic surgery specialist, and the owner of Aesthetic Med Prywatne Centrum Chirurgii Plastycznej in Szczecin, revealed that such surgery may cost as much as zł.12,000.

Depending on the clinic, liposuction may cost between zł.3,000 and zł.8,000, while one would have to pay between zł.6,000 and zł.12,000 for a facelift and between zł.6-8,000 for a nosejob.

Although this might seem like a lot of money for the average Pole, the price for plastic surgery services in Poland is much lower than in Western European countries. "We are approximately three times cheaper than the Germans," Dr Barańska says. No wonder foreigners are the Słubice clinic's main clients. "Over 80 percent of our patients come from abroad," Dr Barańska explains.

Aesthetic Med's Dmytrzak notices a similar trend. "Between 60 and 70 percent of our clients are Germans and Scandinavians," he says.

Bargain hunters

Thus, when it comes to Poles, it's mostly those from the wealthier circles who can afford a nip-and-tuck, but Western clients offer a more diverse mix of economic backgrounds. "We get everybody from doctors to shop clerks," says Dr Barańska.

Germans are traditionally the largest group, but Dr Barańska notices an increasing number of British and Dutch coming through her doors. She credits the proximity of Berlin's airport for the growing number of Western patients.

However, the trend is visible further away from the border. "The number of foreign patients is constantly increasing. I would say that around 10 to 15 percent of patients in clinics in Warsaw are foreigners," Dr Tadeusz Witwicki from Warsaw's Lecznica Kabaty said. He added that there are agencies and bureaus that specialize in contacting patients from abroad. "I think this segment will continue to grow," Witwicki predicts.

Woman's world?

The three most popular surgeries are: breast corrections, which include lifting, enlargement or reduction, face lifts and nose corrections as well as liposuction. Breast corrections are by far the most popular, with breast enlargements accounting for one-third of all operations.

"Young women usually go for breast enlargement or nose corrections, women who have given birth frequently lift their breasts or reduce them. Older women opt for surgeries related to aging, like face lifts," Dr Witwicki explains.

Women tend to opt for cosmetic surgery much more often than men, especially among Poles. However, Dr Dmytrzak notices that men are increasingly becoming interested in plastic surgery treatments. "Nose and ear corrections are the most common among men, followed by liposuction and facelifts," he says. 

Breaking taboos

Although Polish patients tend to sign up for the same treatments as the foreign ones, Dr Barańska notices that Poles and foreigners have a  different approach to plastic surgeries. "Poles very often hide their decision to undergo such operations, Westeners are not ashamed of it, and treat it just like going to a dentist's," she says. On the other hand, Dr Witwicki says that behavior is changing. "Plastic surgeries are no longer taboo, people are not ashamed of undergoing such treatments. What's more, in some circles it's fairly popular and people often recommend clinics and doctors to each other," he said.

Contrary to popular belief, cosmetic surgery has a fairly long history in Poland. The first clinic offering "reconstruction" surgeries was established in the beginning of the 1950s. Many hospitals offered these services in the 1970s, but it wasn't until the 1990s that the business took off.

"I can see the number of Polish patients has continuously grown over the last few years, and we have to keep in mind that Lubuskie is rather a poor voivodship. I assume that in large cities the numbers of those willing to undergo a plastic surgery is even higher," Dr Barańska says.

Boom or bust?

However, Dr Witwicki sees problems connected with the plastic surgery boom and the growing access to such treatments. "There are many more clinics than a decade ago, and unfortunately some regular surgeons carry out cosmetic operations without having the necessary qualifications," he says. 

That won't stop the procedures' increasing popularity though. "There will be more people willing to undergo cosmetic surgeries. We are becoming a society in which looks are becoming increasingly important in career and everyday perception," explains Dr Witwicki. He points out that a whole segment of medicine devoted to beauty and appearance is now forming. "Apart from plastic or cosmetic surgeries, segments like aesthetic dermatology are developing rapidly," he said.