Monday, July 4, 2016

Aesthetic medicine is a billion dollar industry today: Dr. Ashish Davalbhakta

The field of cosmetic surgery is growing, numbers of surgeries are increasing and more and more specialists are coming which is ultimately resulting in greater affordability.

Dr. Ashish Davalbhakta, Consultant Aesthetic Plastic Surgeon, Aesthetics Medispa, Pune, talks to ETHealthworld about the growing demand in physical well-being and cosmetic surgery worldwide.

1. What made you think of Aesthetics Medispa?

I trained as a plastic surgeon from Nair hospital Mumbai and I went to UK, there I trained as a cosmetic surgeon and after having returned in 2005 I realized that the cosmetic industry was absolutely nascent and there was no plastic surgeon or any specialist working as a cosmetic surgeon. So I felt that there was a need to start these services as there is demand and need for services in India.

The whole concept of cosmetic surgery is not new and was in the west when I went there and studied. I found that it is not just beauty or improving how you look that matters but it is rather the whole concept of feeling and looking good. So the wellness industry needs to be tagged along with cosmetic surgery industry and that's why I started the Medispa.

2. As a business model, how much growth do you anticipate in this field?

Plastic surgery actually originated in India in 300 BC and over the years, technologies evolved and new operation has been designed to help you look good. This has picked up in a huge way in US, Europe, South America and even in Korea. There are therapeutic operations and preventive operations that help you look and feel good.

The field of cosmetic surgery is growing, numbers of surgeries are increasing and more and more specialists are coming which is ultimately resulting in the costs to go down. But more than the cost going down, it is the affordability that is rather going up.

People with their disposable incomes are able to spend on themselves to look good. The rate at which India is growing, the awareness is growing, disposable income and the ability to spend on yourself is growing, more and more would be saved and set aside to maintain yourself. This could turn out to be a one billion dollar industry.

3. Tell us about the procedure of services provided in Aesthetics Medispa?

In our association we have around 250 members who purely are interested in cosmetic surgery and the number is growing month on month. There are around 1500 plastic surgeons associated to our association while a lot of them do cosmetic surgeries. More of them are offering these services as the training is increasing and the need and demand in the society.

The Medispa is holistic as we offer preventive treatments which are covered under spa treatments. I believe that one should have regular skin exfoliation, moisturization, toning and massage which helps in maintaining the skin. Then is the non surgical services like lasers, chemical peels even neuromodulator injections, fillers and microdermabrasions.

We have nutrition and weight management as well as detoxification which helps in removing all kinds of toxins from the body. Cosmetic surgery comes as a end of the line where all the other previous attempts to improve have been exhausted you have surgery as a last resort.

4. What makes Aesthetics Medispa different from others?

The USP of Aesthetics Medispa is the qualifications of the surgeons who work here, the extensive experience and foreign training that they have. The standard that we follow is at par with most of the leading centers in the west.

The second USP is the ability to offer all the services under one roof. Here for instance we would be able to channelize a client to the right service which will suit him and give him the best results.

Our third USP is the research and the newer technologies that we are able to evaluate access and then only implement. We don't offer anything that is of doubtful value. Our guidelines are for each and every procedure, outcomes, how to deal with complications and day care surgeries.

5. From which countries do you see more clients pouring in and why is India their preferred destination for cosmetic surgery?

Currently nearly 40% of my patients base or client base in cosmetic surgery have some or the other connection with the west. We also cater to huge number of clients who look us out on the internet and start enquiring about the treatments that they wish to have and come down here to have those treatments. They could be from UK, Australia, Middle East or even Africa.

India is at least 3 times cheaper than UK and USA. The other countries that we compete with in terms of medical tourism are Thailand, South Africa and Poland. We could be comparable with the prices of Thailand. Patients could end up doing the same thing in at least half the price.

6. How do you see the future of aesthetic medicine in the coming years?

It's a rosy picture as aesthetic medicine industry is going to grow exponentially in the future. You have to maintain your body and maintenance involves doing regular servicing so you have to service your skin and health.



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