What’s normal now?
Are tweakments as common in Ireland as haircuts? How many of us have had cosmetic procedures and are they worth the money? Marie Kelly speaks with four individuals about why and where they chose to have ‘work done’.
There’s something ironic about actor Demi Moore leaving this month’s Golden Globes ceremony with a statuette for her performance as the fading celebrity who succumbs to the ultimate anti-aging injectable along with a goody bag containing a voucher for a $40,000 cellular face lift.
Body-horror film The Substance and its terrifying message about the Faustian deal Moore’s character Elisabeth Sparkle makes to freeze time may have made a visceral impression on audiences, but it’s unlikely to stem the tide of cosmetic surgery, which according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery’s annual global survey, is on the rise. Both aesthetic and cosmetic procedures are growing year on year, with a 40% increase over the past five years; liposuction is the most common surgical procedure followed by breast augmentation, eyelid surgery, abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) and rhinoplasty.
While there are no official statistics for Ireland, only anecdotal evidence, Liz Dwyer, founder of the Future Beauty Show, a clinical and aesthetic beauty event for consumers, which will run at the RDS from 1-2 March, believes ‘tweakments’ – non-surgical treatments such as injectables, laser and biorejuvenations – are as prolific in this country as visits to the hairdresser. She estimates the rate of cosmetic surgery is significantly lower at about 10% of the population, but several plastic surgeons have told her they’re “out the door” doing face lifts and breasts surgeries.
In Dwyer’s experience, the majority of both surgical and non-surgical procedures are not vanity led. “Most of the time, men and women are trying to solve a problem and find a way to deal with something that upsets them. It could be a birthmark, acne, obesity or hair loss caused by anxiety,” she explains.
For media professional Claire Craig, it was uneven breasts. She had been deeply unhappy with the irregularities in size and shape of one breast compared with the other for many years, but her insecurities were solidified in 2016 when she went to a well-known department store for a bra fitting. “I was essentially told I was deformed by the sales assistant who suggested that a surgeon could sort me out. I wiped away tears as I walked back up Henry Street,” she admits.
The majority of both surgical and non-surgical procedures are not vanity led. Most of the time, men and women are trying to solve a problem and find a way to deal with something that upsets them.
Despite feeling terrified at the prospect of surgery, by 2023 she decided “it’s now or never” so she had a breast augmentation at The Avoca Clinic in Wicklow. The mother-of-one went on to have liposuction on her thighs in November after diet and exercise failed to achieve the results she wanted. She describes both surgeries as life-changing. “I feel really emotional about it. Confidence is everything and feeling good in your own body really helps your overall wellbeing,” she says.
Craig was quoted €5,000 for liposuction in Ireland but paid half that at the Bangkok Hospital Siriroj in Thailand. Though still in the healing phase, she says she feels great and has no major pain or problems, just mild fatigue and a little discomfort. She found the whole experience abroad extremely positive and she’s back at work now and back in the gym. While she can see some signs of healing and inch loss, it could be the end of February before the full results are visible.
Two of Craig’s close friends have also had cosmetic surgery and she says it’s no longer thought of as unusual but is fairly common. Having had two procedures herself, I ask about the proverbial slippery slope. “I’m in a good place right now and I realise I can’t continue to do this. I’ve always been very passionate about nutrition and working out so I don’t think that’s a risk for me. Admittedly, when you see the results of surgery, you think God, this is really good, but I would weigh that against the recovery time, antibiotics and medication.”
Craig was fortunate to have the support of her 20-year-old daughter in Thailand and a childhood friend from Longford who travelled to Phuket from her home in Australia to have a breast augmentation at the same time. Dwyer says that for many people who choose to have surgery abroad, the hardest part is not the surgery itself but the lack of emotional support afterwards.
Thirty-six-year-old Lynn Mac travelled to Kaunas in Lithuania alone for a tummy tuck and arm lift in September last year. “I’ve had a life-long battle with obesity,” she explains. “I’ve lost weight and put it back on over the years and when I finally went on a proper health kick and lost loads of weight, I was left with loose skin and stretch marks so surgery was really my only option.”
A psychic medium by profession, Mac admits that although it goes against all common sense, her choice of clinic was based on intuition. “I came across BaltiClinic on Instagram and watched their work for a while, then I met with a surgeon and other staff in Dublin who’d travelled over from Lithuania to chat with prospective clients. They were lovely and I felt no pressure whatsoever to book.”
The surgery was a walk in the park. It took 20 minutes under local anesthetic and I didn’t feel anything during or after. I had no side effects or bruising and just a little swelling for a few days.
Mac was in theatre for three-and-a-half hours and the most challenging aspect, she reveals, was being unable to stand up straight for a week afterwards. “I was groggy and my body felt tight when I came out of surgery, but I hadn’t realised I would only very gradually be able to straighten up.” She did worry about how she would manage alone when she left the hospital, but her fears didn’t play out. “The hospital staff made sure I was looked after. They took care of all my journeys to and from the hotel, hospital and airport and I had constant contact with the surgeon’s assistant who was incredible. My family was checking in the whole time too,” she explains.
The Leixlip native is so happy with the results that she has scheduled a thigh lift and adjustments to her back for later this year at the same clinic. “The quality of work there is exceptional. People argue you should stay in Ireland for cosmetic surgery, but what has Ireland got to offer? We’re not leaders in cosmetic surgery and then there’s the cost.” Mac paid €7,000 for an extended tummy tuck, lipo 360 and an arm lift. She says the same work could cost anything between €15,000 and €20,000 in Ireland. Dwyer agrees the difference in cost at home and abroad is considerable. Brazil is a case in point. “Filler will cost you about €50 there whereas it can cost five times that in Ireland. Every Brazilian I know travels home to stock up on tweakments,” she says.
But Ms Siún Murphy, consultant plastic surgeon at Dublin’s Blackrock Clinic, warns that patients need to be aware of the vast difference between clinics at home and abroad. “Some are regulated and adhere to modern surgical standards,” she explains, “but sadly many do not. Travelling abroad for surgery is not without its risks and issues, especially with regard to post-operative care. Many patients fly back after long anaesthetics and multiple procedures; all of that travel so soon after a general anaesthetic can compromise their recovery and risk clots (DVT/PE). While having these procedures costs more at home, the post-operative care, which is almost more important than the procedures themselves, is all part of the operative package here.”
Despite the financial incentive to go abroad, Monica Ivani chose to have her eye lift with Murphy at the Blackrock Clinic. Originally from Hungary, the 44-year-old explains that she had a heavily hooded eyelid since childhood. “I wouldn’t say it affected my confidence, but I’m a businesswoman and I travel the world; it’s part of my job to look the best I can.” Ivani, who owns MyBrows Permanent Makeup Academy in Stillorgan in Dublin, says she looks younger and fresher since the eye lift and his no visible scar. It’s given her the confidence to consider a breast lift and liposuction.
“The surgery was a walk in the park,” she reveals. “It took 20 minutes under local anesthetic and I didn’t feel anything during or after. I had no side effects or bruising and just a little bit of swelling for a few days. You can see it all on my social media account.” Several of Ivani’s friends have had eye lifts in France and England. “Surgery abroad is so much cheaper, but I chose the Blackrock Clinic in case I had complications afterwards and I had an incredible experience there.”
Ivani believes at least half of her clientele, which she says equates to thousands of individuals, have had work done. “Europeans are a lot more open about the subject,” she says. “Irish people are very private, although that’s beginning to change. I’m very open about it. I think the eye lift was absolutely brilliant and I would recommend it to anyone.” Dwyer believes more transparency can only be a good thing. On her chart-topping podcast Fess Up, she invites individuals in the public eye to get real about everything from mummy makeovers to colonics. “More honesty means greater awareness and this will raise industry standards for everyone.”
While Ivani describes herself as “very pro-plastic surgery”, she doesn’t believe in going overboard either. “I don’t want to change, I want to look natural and like the best version of myself, but after 40, skin becomes looser and signs of aging become more obvious. I would like to age gracefully – I don’t mind wrinkles, it’s all part of life – but you can’t let yourself go completely.”
At the tender age of 24, Patrick Blue has no need to worry about the ravages of time, yet the creative make-up artist and social media manager has had several aesthetic treatments in cosmetic clinics in Dublin, from lip filler and mesotherapy (injections under the skin to promote loss of fat) to botox and dermaplaning (scraping off dead skin cells with a scalpel). In November 2022, he had a septoplasty and rhinoplasty in Istanbul at a cost of €2,400; this included surgery, accomodation and transfers.
His first tweakment was lip filler at age 18. He thought it would be a fun thing to do with his mum so he treated them both. It was her first time too, and as it turned out, her last. Blue says she enjoyed the experience but decided needles weren’t for her. The Enniscorthy native reveals all of his peers are investing in their skin now, “especially when it comes to basic stuff like botox, fillers and boosters”. He adds: “Treatments aren’t that expensive any more. One ml of lip filler is €250 and botox can range from €240 per unit; it’s so good these days it can last up to a year depending on your metabolism.”
The septoplasty was to repair a breathing problem and a blockage in one of his nostrils, but he decided that while he was having it done, he’d have a “minor fix” on his nose. “I was happy with my nose shape, but I thought it could be improved,” he admits. Blue spent three years researching clinics before he decided on the Memorial Bahcelievler Hospital. “I had no pain at all after the surgery and the next day I enjoyed a three-hour boat cruise around Istanbul,” he says.
Blue has been creating social media content for Dublin clinics for the past five years and he says it’s not only common to see mums and daughters attending together but wives accompanying their husbands. “You see every single type of man coming in to get work done, from tradesmen treating the effects of sun damage to grandfathers getting botox because they want to look good in christening photos. Men are much more conscious of their skin these days.”
This article was originally published in The Irish Times Magazine, January 2025