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Low Cost Cosmetic Surgery and "Lunch Hour Face Lifts" in Thailand
This information is a intended to translate complex and advanced medical technology into lay terms, so do not assume that this is medical advice. If you sincerely want to improve your appearance and think you are a candidate for any of these kinds of procedures, we suggest you get a consultation.
We have done quite a bit of research and recommend the hospitals and clinics below. You may use the form at the bottom of the page to make an appointment for a consultation or get prices for the procedures you think are suitable.
You can look healthier, better and even younger without surgery and save enough money to pay for your holiday in Thialand!
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Years ago Hollywood predicted that you could someday relax in a doctor's chair, and blinking machines would remove the signs of time from your skin, or that a new face could magically be painted on. Remember Katherine Helmond's face being stretched and wrapped in plastic in Terry Gilliam's film
"Brazil?" The good news is, those Hollywood writers came pretty close to the truth about today's incredible medical technology.
There are many different new and wonderful medical procedures that can help you look better, whether it be to change the contour of your body, remove or replace hair, tighten sagging skin on the face, waistline or under the arms, change the shape of a nose or chin, add dimples, remove wrinkles, warts,
 moles, acne scars, unwanted tattoos, spider veins, remnants of adolescent acne, the ravages of excessive sun worship, or other blemishes. We can call these "cosmetic surgery" if they involve cutting or anesthesia, or "cosmetic procedures" if they are accomplished without a major incision or a hospital stay. We do not use the term "plastic surgery" because technically that means reconstructive surgery.
It is this vast medical specialty that Thailand has become especially famous for. Appearances are everything here, and Thai people all want to look their absolute best. Young men routinely wear plenty 0f makeup and that girl behind the counter at Burger King may have had a nose bob, breast augmentation, or dental veneers. (Or maybe she is not a "girl" at all.) Consequently, these artificial ways to alter ones appearance are not just for the rich, but for the masses. In Bangkok, for example, there is even a chain of "Laser Centers" in popular shopping areas where you can walk in and get something fixed for under $50. We do not recommend these, of course, since the work is done by "technicians" of questionable training rather than by a physician.
While many physical alterations still require a brief hospital stay, technology has brought us the phenomenon of the "Lunch Hour Face Lift". Some problems that could once be solved only with a scalpel can now be fixed with lasers, radio waves, injections, a host of blinking machines, and other means that do not require hospitalization, incisions, or even anesthetic. Some of them can be done so quickly that they can literally be accomplished on your lunch break. Voile! The lunch hour face lift is born.
Let's begin with what can be accomplished in an hour or two with little or no pain or bleeding.
You may assume that all of these mentioned below are registered trade marks. We mention them specifically because you may have heard of them or are already familiar with them. They are good examples of groups of different kinds of products that accomplish the same thing. We are not recommending any specific product or that you choose what you think is best for you based on what you read here. Please rely on the recommendations of a physician who specializes aesthetic medicine.
The most common problems that can be treated with non-surgical procedures are:
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minor wrinkling
● rows feet and certain kinds of skin folds
● damage from exposure to the sun and other elements that make the skin appear
old or leathery
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uneven pigmentation, including blotchy skin and "spider veins"
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scarring from acne and other kinds of blemishes
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large pores
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stretch marks
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unwanted tattoos
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minor fatty deposits
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"baggy" face or body tissue like "turkey neck"
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permanent removal or implanting of hair
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skin whitening
There are often many different possible solutions to any cosmetic problem and a talented physician will recommend the best for your particular needs. We can divide most of these into two different groups:
Minimally Invasive Procedures
"Cutting edge" would be a thoroughly inappropriate description for the new technology that solves many different kinds of aesthetic problems because no cutting is involved. In fact, the devices used barely touch the skin at all!Other minimally-invasive procedures involve somehow breaking the surface of the skin, whether it be with an injection, a minor puncture of another kind, or application of chemicals.
Botox and MesoBotox. Over time, you train the muscles in your face to change by making repeated facial expressions. If you frown, scowl, raise your eyebrows you may have wrinkles that were caused by the retrained muscles beneath them. Botox, a natural protein toxin, is injected into the muscles under the skin, causing them to completely relax. As a result, the face is smoother and less wrinkled. It is not a substitute for a surgical face lift and the effects last only about six months. Botox is relatively inexpensive but usually requires pre-testing for possible allergic reactions.
Chemical peels. Application of chemicals to the surface of the skin to destroy two or more layers were popular in the seventies and eighties, but have been replaced by safer, less painful procedures.
Collagen injections. Pure collagen, the organic building blocks of human skin, is injected to plump up creased, furrowed, or sunken facial skin or add fullness to lips. Results appear gradually over a period of weeks following treatment.
Dermabrasion. Micro Dermabrasion uses tiny crystals to polish the skin, removing dead skin cells, fine lines and small scars. The process takes very little time and results are immediate. However, most people require a second or third weekly sessions to get the results they want, especially if there are larger scars or stretch marks to be removed.
Derma Roller. Some patients have better results with Derma Roller than Dermabrasion. The surface of a devise "rolled" across the skin to produce microscopic channels deep below the surface of the skin. This allows collagen, the substance your body makes to produce new skin, rise through to the upper layers of the skin and deeper penetration of any beneficial substances that are applied on the surface of the skin. Most patients require two to four treatments.
Fraxel Laser, Cool Glide, Varia and a host of other laser treatments can eliminate redness, acne scarring, uneven skin tone, sun damage, and stretch marks, large pores, spider veins and uneven pigmentation with minimal downtime and outstanding results. Some laser procedures can remove blemishes, unwanted hair and unwanted tattoos.
Galaxy Fotofacial, IPL (Intense Pulse Light) and similar treatments do just about the same thing but with bipolar radio frequencies and light that penetrate the skin to a depth that can be controlled.
Hylaform is a highly purified form of hyaluronic acid, a natural sugar that occurs in all human cells. Hylaform injections under the skin reduce the appearance of wrinkles and crows feet by plumping the surrounding skin tissue. Hylaform (and Collagen, described below) are longer lasting than Botox and do not usually require allergy testing. Results appear gradually over a period of weeks following treatment.
Smart Lipo. You are probably already be familiar with liposuction, a surgical procedure that removes large quantities of fat with suction. The principle behind "Smart Lipo" is almost the same except that it is designed for smaller fat deposits such as chins and underarms. A "wand" more slender than a pencil is inserted through a small incision with local anesthetic. A laser on the tip of the wand liquefies the fat and your body disposes of it naturally. Smart Lipo requires no hospitalization and there is minimal discomfort. The incision usually heals completely within a few days and will leave no scar.
Thermage is a modern medical miracle that has made the concept of a "lunch hour face lift a reality. Thermage uses high frequency radio waves to heat the collagen in the lower layers of the skin with a simple hand-held device about the size of a small computer mouse. The result is gradually a tightening of the skin that continues for as long as four months following treatment, which literally gives the appearance of reversal of ageing. Results are permanent in that they will probably outlive you. Thermage is safe, comfortable (with a local anesthetic), and requires no hospitalization. It is primarily used on the face, although it can be used on other areas of the body where skin is wrinkled or sagging. In some cases there are no apparent visible results after treatment, so you should discuss this at length with your physician before you commit to it.
Aptos and other Thread Lift procedures. Through a tiny incision the doctor inserts a barbed thread into the tissue under the area you want to "lift". The barbs open and tightly grip the sagging tissue when the surgeon gently pulls the thread back towards the incision.
This is a relatively new procedure so it should be offered only by a physician
who has had special training and has performed many procedures already.
Surgical Solutions
More comprehensive solutions that usually require a brief hospital stay. To read more go here: 
Request Prices or Make an Appointment
We offer a referral service for people who want to know more about the procedures offered above. Unless you specify one, we will consult up to three different hospitals or clinics without identifying you, and provide you with comparative costs. Options are more limited outside Bangkok. If you prefer to get personal evaluation instead, we are also happy to make an appointment for you during your stay.
Please use the form below to get prices and/or make an appointment. It will save quite a bit of time if you send us a photo as well. Just click on the button at the bottom of the form and the photo will be attached automatically. You will be asked if you want to send a second photo after you click "finished".
All information you provide will be treated with the utmost confidence. Photos will be deleted after they have been evaluated by doctors.
Using this referral service will not increase your costs.
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