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Liposuction still thriving in Greece, despite economic woes

More people are having cosmetic surgery in disaster wracked Greece than in almost any other nation on the planet. The rationale? It might come down to just wanting to look and feel better in the face of financial difficulty.

Based on Germany’s DerSpegel newspaper, in 2011, 142,394 aesthetic procedures were done in the nation of 11 million individuals. That is to say one in 79 Greeks had Botox injections or other procedures such as liposuction.

Worldwide, the Greeks ranked second only to south Koreans with regard to the amount of procedures done per capita.

Athanasios Athanaisiou, who opened his flourishing practice Athens Beverly Hills Medical Team at the peak of Greece’s economic crises in 2011, said ‘I think that if people aren’t doing well, it’s particularly important to hear others say: “Wow, you look terrific”.

‘I constantly saw the financial crisis as an opportunity.’

“Maybe they are getting less cash, but they are operating. We adjust ourselves to the marketplace.”

However there can also be another reason why so many Greeks are opting for cosmetic surgery – falling prices and more competition.

Yet here’s the thing, the fall in the price of particular processes might be more of a consequence of a fall in healthcare expense as a whole in Greece, which has found the authorities there slashing its funding by a third in three years. Whereas the Greek authorities spent 12 billion pounds (18 billion USD) on healthcare last year, in 2012 it just spent 8 billion (12.4 billion USD).

However there might become a real valid reason why so many Greeks are pursuing plastic surgery. As economic opportunities have dwindled many women are now once again being forced into improving their appearances as this for many has become their sole currency in getting ahead in a competitive jobs market.

Interestingly Greece is only one example of a nation where in fact the liposuction business flourishes in times of economic crisis. In America, also, lots of individuals have had cosmetic procedures despite the poor economy. Following the 2008 downturn, Americans spent less on rent, food and clothes, but more on liposuction, breast augmentations and gluteoplasty. This might justbe another way of saying that in times of economic woe it just may help to finally get round to that beauty treatment that may help you feel better about yourself, boosting your self esteem, confidence and success in the corporate jungle.