Looking good: splashing SSIA cash on plastic
Monday June 11 2007
COSMETIC surgery clinics are booked out until the end of August as SSIA plastic surgery shoppers prepare to splurge their hard-earned cash.
Personal maintenance has become as hot as property among savers who are so desperate for breast augmentation and ear tucks they cannot wait for their investment to mature.
One Dublin-based surgery said one out of every three patients is using the Charlie McCreevy scheme to fund a radical new look.
Debbie Ashdown of Advanced Cosmetic Surgery said some clients were so keen for an image change that they had taken out loans in advance of their Government windfall.
She said the clinic had experienced a surge in customers. Women want breastwork and liposuction while men are more inclined to opt for ear tucks and nose jobs. And they are not afraid to splash out up to €7,000 for the most expensive procedures, including tummy tucks.
Patients are getting younger, with non-invasive surgery proving popular with women in their twenties.
"Some of them would not see their money until the end of the year but couldn't wait for the money to come through," said Ms Ashdown. "They had had a consultation and didn't want to put surgery on the long finger.
Botox
"Many had been coming in for consultations in anticipation of the money coming through. They went to finance companies and took out loans and plan to pay off the loan when the SSIA comes through.
"Most have been thinking about it for a long time, it wasn't done on a whim. We talk to them about finance and they have been telling us that their money would be coming through at the start of May.
"We're out the door this month with appointments, most for non-surgical treatments."
She said she was also surprised at the number of young women - in their mid to late twenties - who had saved cash for five years. And a sizable portion of men are getting botox, derma fillers and laser treatment in an attempt to keep age at bay.
Dr Patrick Treacy, of the Ailesbury Clinic, said women in their early twenties are now coming to his clinic seeking botox.
"The feeling is that if you get botox you will never get wrinkles." But while it may delay wrinkles, they are inevitable as you get older.
Dr Treacy also said breast augmentation "seems to be hitting lower and lower ages".
While he agreed that some people are spending a portion of their SSIA money on some form of surgery, he believes the numbers are less than anticipated even a year ago.
"People are now being more prudent. If we were still in the upsurge period of the economy people would be more likely to spend on themselves. But now people are being more practical and pragmatic."
The most popular procedures at his clinic are liposuction, blepharoplasties (removal of eye bags), neck lifts and derma fillers.
They currently have a waiting list of 275 people for a new facial laser treatment called Active FX. Previous treatments would leave the skin recovering for up to one and a half months. With the new treatment, the skin heals in three days, leaving it looking younger and fresher.
"We can only treat five people a day with it so it will take us up to three months just to get through the list we have now."
At least €7.5bn in SSIA accounts have matured,
- Edel Kennedy
