It’s previously been labelled as the cosmetic surgery capital of the world, and now South Korea is making headlines again by offering tax-free cosmetic procedures to tourists. The country is home to more than 4,000 plastic surgery clinics and has the world’s highest rate of cosmetic procedures per head of population; 13 for every 1,000 people in a population of 49 million.
The tourist-boosting endeavour will begin in April 2016, whereupon foreign visitors to the country who have undergone a procedure during their trip will receive VAT refunds.
Moon Chang-yong, deputy finance minister of tax and customs, said:
“If a foreign national submits a receipt for the surgery they received from a local hospital or clinic on departure, that person can get a tax refund. It is designed to help boost the local tourism industry.”
Surgery tourism is not a new phenomenon – many people are drawn in by the cut prices offered in other countries – but it is rife with potential problems and complications. Recently, an Australian woman who died after complications following a buttock augmentation surgery in Thailand made the headlines, but the case was far from unique. Poorly considered surgery tourism increases the risk of complications, sub-par results and health risks exponentially.
If you are considering a cosmetic treatment of any description, it’s important that you have it done by someone you trust will do a good job – both in terms of the level of results they can elicit, and also in the way, they prioritise your health and offer patient aftercare. The price of domestic cosmetic surgery may seem high compared to that offered in foreign countries, but it is always better to make a sound investment and making a sensible decision that prioritises your health and wellbeing. Remember also that the cost of corrective surgery if something goes wrong may escalate the costs considerably.
Your surgeon should make sure that you fully understand the procedure at hand, and that you are aware of any risks and potential side-effects prior to treatment. Having surgery in a large fully equipped hospital in the UK with a fully accredited Plastic Surgeon may cost more but will ensure you have the security of safe medical care with realistic and reliable results from your surgery.
Mr Chana is regularly approached to give his opinion on poor results from cosmetic surgery carried out abroad or from fly-in fly-out foreign surgeons operating from commercial cosmetic surgery chains.
If you are interested in any cosmetic procedure with Mr. Jag Chana or have had an unsatisfactory result from surgery, you can book a consultation by calling or emailing the clinic directly.