Health, Beauty and Babies

Text by Michelle Smith

Poland’s tourism industry is growing, particularly its medical tourism industry. In the first quarter of 2008, almost 3 million non-residents entered the country for a weekend, week or longer. The whole of 2007 saw 15 million tourists in Poland and this number is predicted to rise to 19 million by 2012. Tourist agencies foresee that there will be a change in the structure of inbound tourists though, more specifically the purpose of their visits. With the high costs of beauty and health treatment in Britain, hopping on a plane and heading out to another European country for rest, relaxation or some much needed dental work seems like a viable option.

The yearning to hold on to our youthful looks has always been a lucrative business and a lot of Polish clinics have seen the demand in the market and are catering to the needs of medical tourists. Some even go as far as arranging accommodation and tours around the city where they are situated. For a lot of people this is the perfect solution to a sensitive issue: they leave home for two weeks, have their surgery within the first two days of arrival in Poland and spend the remainder of their time travelling and resting. Upon return everyone notices how ‘well’ they look after their holiday, so ‘relaxed’ and ‘younger’, no co-workers or gossip-prone neighbours ever seeing bruises or healing scars.

Plastic surgery in Poland

There are many reasons for leaving Britain and heading out to Poland for cosmetic surgery, but admittedly it is the low cost that is the strongest drawing point. With a tummy tuck starting at £1,400, a breast lift from £2,326, breast augmentation from £2,900 (as compared to £4,350 in the UK) and lipsuction on the lower back, hips and stomach from £2,300 it all seems to be a logical decision to break away from home, have some corrective surgery done, relax and recover before heading home, looking younger and better. And there are numerous safe, efficient and discreet clinics in Poland offering these professional services, and many more.

One such clinic is Chirurgia Plastyczna Knakiewicz. Founded in 1995, it is situated in the magical city of Wroclaw and has built a medical reputation of excellence in their clinic by providing cosmetic surgery to consistently high standards, with doctors who are highly skilled, experienced and innovative. They use a "one-day surgery" system, meaning you can go home the same day, or book yourself into one of the many luxurious spas in the area to be pampered for the remainder of your stay.

In the leafy Mokotow suburb of Warsaw is another cosmetic surgery clinic offering expert services at attractive prices. Dr Jerzy Chęciński specialised in plastic surgery in 1978 at the Central Clinic of the Military Academy of Warsaw, Plastic Surgery and Burn Unit and has 26 years of experience in this field. His clinic offers all the usual procedures with the cost of breast augmentation around £1,600, while a mini facelift will set you back as little as £1,000 (prices are, of course, dependant on the current exchange rate). The clinic’s website gives a detailed description of each procedure, how long convalescence would take and their before and after photos will give you a better idea of what is done.

Poland surprises people with its spas and beauty clinics that sport some of the most advanced techniques and equipment. Even locals are astonished when they discover that their country is leading the field with some techniques and products. One of the latest to have hit the market is Macrolane™, an innovative product developed by Swedish scientists that is used only in selected clinics, for example, Dr Stelczyk’s clinic in Wroclaw. This is a non-surgical body shaping method that is used for breast enhancement, post liposuction concavities, calves, buttocks, male chest shaping and penile enlargement.

Macrolane™ is a gel, also referred to as a dermal filler, which is injected deep into the subcutis to adjust the shape of a person’s body in a natural, non-permanent way. All dermal fillers are eventually absorbed and metabolised by the body. One round of Macrolane breast augmentation should last from one to two years. It is supported by years of research and is a good alternative to invasive surgery with all the risks involved and the possibility of scars. Additionally, wiith Macrolane™, the procedure is short and requires only local anaesthetic and an almost non-existent recovery period.

Another clinic that uses this gel is La Perla. Not only do they offer this service, but this elegant clinic offers a lot more. Their clinic is based in Warsaw and you can visit their website to find out more about breast-, ear-, nose-, eyelid correction, liposuction, tummy-tucks (abdominoplasty), scar and tattoo removal to only name a few of the cosmetics surgery options they offer. Focusing completely on beauty, they also offer all kinds of beauty therapies like permanent make-up, fabulous silk lashes to frame your eyes, and all other facial and body treatments to pamper yourself with.

Spa relaxation

If your search is not for cosmetic surgery, but rather to spend a week or so in a spa, then a good option is Arka Medical Spa. Situated in Kołobrzeg, roughly halfway between Gdansk and the German border, it is easy to reach and difficult to leave – who wants to go back to work when you’re being pampered in style? Apart from its recreational qualities, Arka has been well known for over 200 years as one of the most beautiful health resorts at the Baltic Sea coast. Kołobrzeg, as a health resort, was discovered by a German official from Poznan, an exile who lived in the twierdza kolobrzeska (Kołobrzeg Stronghold). In 1802 he published a brochure about the healing properties of sea bathing, which had helped him very much. The specific microclimate has amazing effects on one’s health. The iodine accumulated in the air, especially in autumn and winter, strengthens the entire organism, and is particularly beneficial for allergy sufferers and people with respiratory problems.

For those who prefer a room with a view over the sea, the Senator Hotel, in the north-west of Poland can give you that. It is a very well-equipped holiday and conference resort, situated in a pine forest in Dźwirzyno, only 50 m from a wide, sandy beach, 10 km from Kołobrzeg. The Senator’s location and facilities offer a full range of active leisure opportunities, relaxing SPA & Wellness services, making it perfect for family stays, even with small children. The perfect gift for a husband to treat his super-woman – she can be pampered while the kids will have enough to keep them busy, the family can later go for a fun walk through the fragrant pine trees, followed by a leisurely dinner.

Another heavenly place to consider is Hotel Bryza Resort & Spa. Situated on the Hel Peninsula, on the sandy beaches of the Baltic Sea, this hotel is a perfect place for relaxation. With breathtaking views over the sea, you’ll be spoiled for choice with their selection of treatments for face, body and hair aiming to rejuvenate your body and soul. Everyone knows that life can run away from us between work, chores and children. Why not leave that all behind, grab a few friends and just giving yourselves over to the administrations of exceptionally trained professionals. Tempting? Well, consider it. Even outside the summer months, Polish resorts are worth visiting and the beauty of nature changes with the season, but does not become any less charming.

Whitening, brightening smiles

If not travelling to Poland for a spa treatment, cosmetic or elective surgery, another very popular trend is dentistry. Reading horrifying stories about people extracting their own teeth because queues are too long to reach an NHS dentist, it is only reasonable that people start looking elsewhere to have their pearly whites fixed. And economising is something that every household has to take into account nowadays with the global credit crisis affecting most people. In comparison to Brazil, Greece, Turkey, India and Vietnam, Poland remains the most cost effective with medical treatment outside of the UK.

Castle on the Hill is a dental clinic in Szczecin offering expert services. With direct flights from Edinburgh, Dublin and London, this Poland-German border city is easy to reach and a ‘dental-holiday’ will save you a quite a bit, even with the flight and accommodation taken into account. The average crown in a private UK clinic will set you back around £450, but in Poland it will only cost you around £200. Dental implants are a much sexier alternative to dentures, but at £2,000 a tooth it could prove to be more painful to your bank account than to your vanity. In Poland a dental implant will only cost you £750, a root canal £35, compared to £250 in the UK. These are estimated figures that differ from clinic to clinic and depend on the exchange rate, but these examples should be proof enough of how much you could save in the long run. There are numerous dental clinics in Poland catering to the penny-saving tourists, so be sure to do your on-line homework. It obviously makes it worth your while to book yourself in for a weekend and have as many dental procedures done at once, depending on your needs.

Platinum Dental Clinic is another alternative, located in the very city centre of Wroclaw – one of the oldest and the most beautiful cities of Poland. They even offer to organise your whole stay – transfer, reservation in a chosen hotel and day long care if requested. In their attempt to make your visit as painless as possible (a welcome consideration for dental work), anaesthetic is offered free of charge for procedures that require it. A few hours in the morning at the dentist will quickly be forgotten on a trip to Wroclaw’s Panorama depicting the battle of Raclawicka. Another reputable dental clinic based in Wroclaw is Prestige Dent. They offer complex dental care with a free-of-charge schedule of treatment as well as a cost estimation before any dental treatment will start. You will also be given a lead doctor who will be in charge of your care for the duration and will answer any and all questions you have.

If you have a baby on your mind…

Another medical service that has taken people all over the world is IVF – in-vitro fertilisation. An estimated twelve to fifteen percent of the total population of childbearing age in European Union countries are said to infertile; as a result, many couple try for years to conceive and the desperation for a baby takes them to clinics all over the world. It is a general misconception that infertility is the woman’s problem, but statistical data has shown that the problem is equally divided between the genders. About one third of the problem can be traced to the woman, one third to the man and the remaining third to many different causes. Thus it is important to not only find a clinic that has a holistic approach and expert who know exactly what they are doing, but also a clinic that operates under the law and isn’t a ‘baby-factory’.

Unfortunately, no international organisation has of yet developed a rating list of infertility centres around the world, but most European countries have individual organisations responsible of the oversight of the quality of treatment provided by these centres. In Poland it is the Fertility and Infertility Section of the Polish Gynaecology Society that has been working on this. It is imperative to find a clinic that has a long established reputation, a modern clinic, and experienced staff who can guide you through the whole process.

One such clinic offering these services is InviMed, with three clinics in Poland. It has been in business for six years and proudly boasts 1,600 births. In 2007 a noteworthy 49.3 percent of their patients became pregnant: this is no mean feat in a medical field that bears as much hope as it does disappointment. The success rate of assisted reproductive technology varies due to several factors. It could be the age of either partner, stress levels at the time, and also the type of assisted reproductive technology used. On average for women under the age of thirty five, the success rate is 37.3 percent. For women 35-37 years of age, the success rate is 30.2% and for women 37-40 they are looking at a 20.2 percent success rate. In cases of women older than that, the percentage drops significantly to less than 10%, which in the light of these facts, makes InviMed’s success in 2007 a true marvel.

The head of the InviMed scientific council is Dr. Yona Barak, an embryology specialist from Israel. She and her team carry between them decades of experience and research into IVF and other assisted reproduction techniques. InviMed recently had great success with in vitro maturation (IVM), a method which conducts the supported growth of immature egg cells outside the woman’s body. The maturing period lasts around 30 hours and is then microinjected with a sperm cell (ICSI). This method is mostly used for patients who do not respond well to hormone treatment and in July 2008, a few dozen patients responded to the treatment and became pregnant.

While looking around for fertility clinics, Gameta Fertility Treatment Centre is worth looking into. It’s been drawing people from all over the continent and beyond for many years and is highly regarded. The Head of the clinic is Dr. Jerzy Radwan, who became experienced in treating infertility in France and the United States during the 1980’s. He was also part of the 1987 success of the first baby born in Poland who was conceived by in-vitro fertilisation. He has surrounded himself with a team comprising of doctors who are experts in their fields – gynaecologists, obstetricians, endocrinologists, nurses, midwives and also psychologists, making sure that this clinic treats not only the body, but also the mind.

Gameta Fertility Treatment Centre has been working with couples for 15 years and has built a reputation of quality service and success. They’ve been cooperating with French and American centres, which has enabled them to meet their patients needs by staying in touch with the latest treatment methods at an international standard. Their two clinics, one in Warsaw and one in Lodz, offer top quality medical service as well as high standard clinics and equipment. Visit their website to find and compare prices.

Staying beautiful

Poland is a developing economy, not only in the medical, beauty and tourism fields, but also in attracting the attention of big international companies looking to expand and invest in growing markets. Beauty products from international companies enjoy increasing sales with consumers who are growing increasingly eager to reach for specialised cosmetics which claim to improve the way they will look and feel. A little bottle of magic is, after all, cheaper than full cosmetic surgery, even if you have to use it for a prolonged period to rid your thighs of cellulite, your brow of frown-lines and your waist of centimetres.

As proven over and over again, the media plays an important role in the forming of public opinion and Poland’s media is not lagging behind. More men and women are becoming susceptible to the ‘Hollywood look’, promoted by celebrities who endorse beauty products like L’Oreal, Lancome, MAC and Clarins to only name a few. These larger-than-life beauties encouraging us to spend money on cosmetics and toiletries have brought a healthy rise in the revenue of this particular market. Multinational giants, like the ones named, dominate the market since they have considerable budgets, enabling them to market their existing products and invest in research and development. Euromonitor has predicted that the cosmetics and toiletries market in Poland will experience healthy growth with fragrances and skincare being the most dynamic sectors. In the changing economic climate and better employment conditions in the country, more Poles have disposable income and are able to afford technologically advanced products and premium brands.

One of these well-known brands that gained a foothold in Poland and has increased its market share is Clarins. They first opened a beauty institute in mid-2004 and are still going strong. Being one of the first multinational corporations to see Poland’s potential and growing market, they’ve established themselves as a reputable entity. The Clarins institute in Warsaw is one of a select few in the world and you can spoil yourself with a variety of world class treatments. If it is not one of their fantastic massages you fancy, you can book a facial or body treatment, or even their specialised treatments during and after pregnancy. You can also stock up on their renowned products ranging from skincare and make-up to cosmetics for men in order to continue your treatments at home.

If you would like to try your hand at a beauty clinic a bit more local, Dr Irena Eris’ hotel is a luxury that you should not miss. Dr Irena Eris is a household name in Poland and the beauty and skincare products worthy of international acclaim. Booking into the four-star spa hotel in Krynica-Zdrój, will guarantee a time of sheer bliss. The hotel sports the latest in cosmetic treatment and cosmetology, and uses water for maximum relaxation and rejuvenation effects. This is a place where you can let your hair down in style and give your mind and body time to breathe.

Dr Irena Eris offers a full range of cosmetics for body and skin care and is worth exploring. They have created their own scientific research centre with the goal of staying ahead with research and development; as a result, their cosmetics are increasingly effective in capturing the best of who we are and maintaining it. With a team of experts in the fields of dermatology, pharmacy, biology and chemistry, their products are duly tested and developed for maximum result with minimum effect on the environment which they value highly.

Not only does Poland attract visitors for the historic value of the country, which in itself is worthy of many books, but it also attracts visitors who explore the many services on offer. From the highest quality local beauty products to international brand names endorsed by celebrities, from affordable cosmetic medicine to top notch dental care, Western Europe has noticed Poland and the advantages of hopping the border for world standard procedures at minimal costs. The cities closer to the German border have recently had to expand their linguistic skills to cater for a growing German clientele. Many women pool together to drive to Poland for the weekend or just to take the train to the nearest Polish city in order to have their hair styled, roots touched up or full colour done at a fraction of the cost in Germany. The manicures and pedicures in Poland have also been enjoying international attention with its high standards, drawing many a lady to stretch out her fingers without stretching her bank account.

If any of these procedures, treatments or treats excite you, then make sure to do a few things. First, do your homework by going through the websites and considering your options in order to make an informed choice. Whether it be for pleasure, relaxation, medical procedures or buffing your pearly whites, Poland has been the choice of many who never regretted booking that flight and recommending it to all their friends.