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Sleeping beauties

Cosmetic surgery for men growing in choices, popularity

By Curtis M. Wong
For The Prague Post
October 31st, 2007 issue

Jan Přerovský/THE PRAGUE POST
Ludmila Fialová, a surgeon with LD Clinic Prague 7.
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Beauty in Prague
Truhlářská 24
Prague 1
Tel.: 222 314 198
www.beautyinprague.com
MyClinic Prague
Panská 5
Prague 1
Tel.: 296 827 530
www.myclinic.cz

Jan Přerovský/THE PRAGUE POST
Fialová (right) hard at work.
When 49-year-old Anthony Elflain got married almost two years ago, he was prepared to make some life adjustments. It wasn’t until he viewed photos of the wedding that he realized just how personal those adjustments would be.
“For three or four years, I’d been completely focused on my career,” says Elflain, a human resources consultant and native of Bedford, England. “I’d basically lost all interest in how I looked. But when I got the photos back, I was really shocked. It was obvious that it was time for me to have some work done.”
With that, Elflain began researching cosmetic surgery, which led him to Beauty in Prague. While Elflain originally wanted a nose job, his surgeon advised against it, and he decided on a face lift, neck lift and lower eyelid surgery instead. Still in the recovery stages, Elflain says he can already feel the difference.
“People told me that I looked really tired before,” he says. “Now, even the ones who advised me not to do it have changed their minds. I can’t think of anything that’s not been perfect about the experience.”
Elflain is one of many British and West European men who are researching Czech cosmetic surgeons in an effort to turn back the clock and boost their self-esteem, and the trend continues to grow annually. Male clients tend to be budget-conscious, and the cost of cosmetic surgery here is half or less of what the same procedure would cost in many Western countries. Plus, the cost often includes post-surgical accommodations.
“The number of inquiries that we receive from men is increasing every month,” says Tamara Ždiňáková, managing director of Beauty in Prague. “Men are taking much
better care of themselves these days compared to even a few years ago. They’ve already been going for facials, pedicures and massages. Cosmetic surgery is the next logical step.”
Cosmetic surgery is far from a new trend in the Czech Republic. In fact, the country was home to the first licensed plastic surgeons in the world. Experts cite local professor František Burian as the “founder” of modern-day cosmetic surgery, having established the first Czech Chair of Plastic Surgery at Charles University in 1938.
Currently, Ždiňáková estimates that men comprise 40 percent of her company’s clientele. By far, rhinoplasty (a.k.a. nose jobs) is the most popular surgical procedure for men but also the most drastic, requiring a week-long recovery stage, she says. The cost for a nose job here is about 55,000 Kč [$3,000].
Face and neck lifts along with eyelid surgery are popular among male professionals, Ždiňáková says, adding that many men seek this procedure in an effort to remain competitive in the corporate world. A face lift might set a client back 84,000 Kč, with a neck lift going for about 53,000 Kč and only 35,000 Kč for eyelid surgery.
Liposuction and male breast reduction are both growing in popularity among Beauty in Prague’s male clientele as well. The procedures cost 55,000 Kč and 78,000 Kč, respectively.
For men seeking a less drastic makeover, Botox and other temporary injectibles are also becoming increasingly popular. With some procedures requiring only a half hour, these methods are considerably less time-consuming, says Martina Holtová, deputy director of MyClinic Prague, which specializes in injectibles. She estimates that 25 percent of MyClinic’s existing clients are men.
“Injectibles are a good alternative for people who can’t afford several weeks away from their professional and social lives,” says Holtová, who’s also a MyClinic client. “Botox or other injectibles won’t make a man look drastically younger, but he will look refreshed and relaxed. It gives the effect of a two-week holiday.”
First applications last an average of three to six months, but the duration increases over time, Holtová says. Injectibles act to treat wrinkles or fill a face’s natural folds. The most popular procedures for men are glabellum injections, which fill out eyebrow wrinkles between the nose, as well as injections to treat forehead wrinkles and “crow’s feet,” she says. Also common are injectibles to treat hyper hydrosis, or excessive sweating.
The temporary effect of injectibles such as Botox is actually a benefit — if a client isn’t satisfied with the results, he need only wait a few months before returning to his original appearance. Prices for injectibles range from 4,975 Kč to 15,500 Kč depending on the procedure.
Although Juan Ponce de Leon never discovered the legendary Fountain of Youth, for an increasing number of men, a cosmetic surgery “holiday” — or even just an extended lunch break — in the Czech Republic is fast becoming an adequate substitute.
“I think that anyone who’s unhappy about the way he looks can be an appropriate candidate,” Elflain says. “Men’s expectations for themselves are getting higher nowadays, and this is just one step on from that. Better to have it done sooner rather than later.”

Curtis M. Wong can be reached at specialsection@praguepost.com


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