Johannesburg - The modern-day beauty standards and proliferation of images featuring seemingly flawless celebrity bodies have resulted in a heightened desire for plastic surgery.
Dr Kajal Lutchminarian, a leading plastic and reconstructive surgeon and the founder of Klutch Plastic Surgery and Medi-Spa, has urged South Africans to exercise caution when seeking affordable plastic surgery procedures.
“Plastic surgery is not something to be taken lightly.
“It’s important to do your due diligence and ensure your surgery takes place in a sterile theatre or operating room,” cautioned Lutchminarian.
“This is the one thing you don’t want to skimp on.
“With procedures costing anything between R75 000 and R100 000, it’s common for South Africans to get on planes and head to places like Turkey or the Dominican Republic for seemingly ‘cheaper’ plastic surgery procedures.
“The problem is that they come back with botched jobs, and it costs them more, in the end, to have it corrected, and worse yet, some suffer medical complications.”
It is revealed that getting a nip, tuck, or lift in South Africa does not come cheap, with procedures costing anything between R75 000 and R100 000, if not more.
She said that in most cases, these treatments are not covered by ordinary medical aids unless they are considered medically necessary and deemed to be reconstructive as opposed to cosmetic.
Dr Lutchminarian has seen a significant increase in patients seeking corrective surgeries after undergoing procedures overseas in countries like Türkiye and the Dominican Republic.
Not only does the rand stretch further here, but procedures are known to be considerably cheaper.
While many people are looking for ways to save money, Lutchminarian warned that compromising on the quality of plastic surgery can have severe consequences.
“It is just too dangerous. You try to save a buck, but you land up spending much more in the end to correct some potentially life-threatening mistakes and complications,” she said.
With the rising cost of living making it difficult for many people to make ends meet, Lutchminarian understands the temptation to choose cheaper alternatives for plastic surgery.
However, she advises against this, stressing the importance of prioritising safety over affordability.
“I urge anyone considering surgery to either put it off until the economy recovers or invest in safer medical surgery practices, which will be worth it in the end.
“Going cheap can either cost you your life, a lifetime of medical complications, or short-term medical complications that you will end up paying more money to rectify,” she said.
The Star