When Carmel Barton went to Poland on holiday she arrived back with more than a healthy tan and a bottle of local vodka.
She bought herself a brand new face.
The 57-year-old was one of the first Irish people to travel to the town of Wroclaw in south-west Poland for plastic surgery in the Euromedica Clinic.
Despite the huge risks involved more Irish people than ever are going under the knife. And with the high costs of many procedures in Ireland and the UK, people are looking for the nip and tuck abroad.
"I had been thinking of getting my eyes done for a long time," Carmel tells SWM.
"In fact, since my early 30s I have had droopy eyelids and always wanted to do something about them.
"So when I read about a woman who travelled to Poland to have procedures done, I thought I might as well give it a go."
Within two months of making her initial enquiries, Carmel was on a plane and heading to the clinic.
"I was absolutely flabbergasted at the place. It's like a stunning hotel in this beautiful little town in Poland.
"Before I went I managed to convince myself that the hospital and the recovery hotel would be mediocre at best because of the price I was being charged but I was amazed at how clean and pretty the place was.
"The staff are exceptional and I genuinely don't have a bad thing to say about the whole thing."
Carmel paid €7,100 for all of her procedures, which included a complete facelift, chin fillers, fat transferals and work on the skin around her eyes.
"The total cost also included my flights, transfers and 11 nights stay in their hotel with an expert staff waiting on your every need 24 hours a day.
"In Ireland or England you'd have to pay three times that and you would be holed up in the clinic overnight before being packed off home," says Carmel. "Everything		 choose it.
"Most women who get plastic surgery don't want those around them to know they had it done and so hide away for a while to let the swelling and the bruising go down. That's natural," says Carmel.
"With Euromedica, the patients get to spend all the time they want relaxing in their hotel, recuperating while the on-hand doctors and nurses look after you. Then you just simply hop back on a plane and head home.
"I went straight back to work when I got back. Everyone knew what I was doing so I didn't have to pretend to them. But when I went to the bank early in the morning, like I do every day, the girl behind the counter just said 'Carmel, you look fantastic. Were you away?'
"It's that kind of reaction that you crave after doing something like this. An acknowledgment that you look better without people knowing what you actually did.
"I'm different in the sense that I was happy to tell whoever wanted to hear, but a lot of people are so insecure that even after they have improved their looks, they don't want people to know how."
Since having such a successful time in Poland Carmel has decided to represent the Euromedica in Ireland. Her new role means that she is the person that potential patients meet with before making any concrete plans.
"I have a full-time job, but I thought I would do this on the side.
"It's important to have someone who knows what they're talking about. I've been in their shoes and gone the whole way with it, so I think I'm the perfect person to represent Euromedica here in Ireland."
If you are interested in finding out more about the Clinic and the different procedures they have on offer log on to www.cosmetic-surgery.me.uk or phone Carmel
over there is cheaper, but believe me when I say that their standards aren't lower as a result of that. "Since I went for the initial surgery I have been back for some dental work.

 out as much.
"As soon as I came home I went to see my cousin who's a dental technician and he said the work was spectacular and he couldn't fault it. That is the type of standards that
we are dealing with here."' In recent years more Irish men
and women are going down the
cosmetic surgery road and are
becoming more aware of much
cheaper deals abroad.
"Cosmetic surgery is still a relatively new concept here in Ireland but it's not a new idea in the greater scheme of things.
"A lot of the women I met in Poland or have spoken to since, have huge hang-ups about heading to a foreign country for these kind of procedures, but the cost factor isn't the only reason they ultimately
Patients spend all the
time they want relaxing
in their hotel while the
on-hand doctors and
nurses look after vou'
"I got seven crowns done for €1,800. In Ireland you would have to pay €1,000 per crown. Plus, while I was there they gave my whole set of teeth a deep cleansing and changed my fillings from dark to white fillings so they don't stand
   
About Us | Procedures | The Clinic | Aftercare | Health Checks | Our Accommodation | Location | Travel Arrangements
Customer Views | News 1 2 3 4 | Our Price Comparison | Contact Us | Leisure
Face | Breasts | Ears | Nose | Arms | Eyes | Tummy | Liposuction | Dentistry