Let’s face it, this year has left all of us a little worse for wear. With the festive season fast approaching, it might have crossed some of our minds to get a much-needed tune-up. To paraphrase Dolly Parton, get anything that is drooping, loosening, or sagging nipped, sucked, and tucked! Yes, I am talking about plastic surgery! Or at the very least, a good old lunchtime procedure. You might have considered getting those fine lines, crows feet, and wrinkles taken care of, but like most expats in Beijing, you have that reserved for your trips back home, in a healthcare system you understand, and medical practitioners you trust.

But what you might not know is, lunchtime procedures are one of the best-kept secrets in Beijing. Look around and you will see flawless, smooth, taut skin. Granted, a lot of that beautiful youthful-looking skin is natural, but many of those beautiful faces have had some work done, albeit tastefully. You might have a few reservations about whether or not having such a procedure in Beijing is a good idea, what with the possible language barrier, and the potential for counterfeit medical products. Sure, visiting an international hospital to get a ‘tasteful touchup’ done is also an option, but you might be afraid of the potentially prohibitive cost of such a visit. What to do?

Dr. Faith Deng and Doctor Li, both medical board-certified cosmetic surgery specialists based in Beijing, wish to allay your fears.

Dr. Faith Deng (left), Dr. Li (right)

If you are still under the impression that cosmetic surgery is the preserve of celebrities and the wealthy, think again. Everyone, even your Ayi, could have had some work done. There is something for everyone, with different price points to fit any pocket. As Dr. Deng puts it, “cosmetic surgery is becoming more and more popular, including among working people, housewives, even university students! While twenty years ago, it was the preserve of the rich and famous.” According to Dr. Li, an average cosmetic procedure patient will be a bachelor degree holder, potentially married, and has a bit of disposable income to splash about, with the ultra-rich now turning to ‘micro-plastic surgery’.

You might have heard of the most popular cosmetic procedure not only in China but in East Asia; double eyelid surgery. But other than this procedure – which some of us might find rather strange to fathom, what else does your average patient in China want, what motivates them to seek a plastic surgeon’s services? “The most common procedures such as double eyelid surgery, rhinoplasty, breast augmentation, while the most common non-surgical methods are mainly to improve contour shaping, such as facelifts, hyaluronic acid rhinoplasty, chin augmentation, etc. Women over the age of 35 are more likely to choose anti-aging items, such as laser, radiofrequency, botox, and hyaluronic acid,” explains Dr. Li. “Now, some teenagers come for acne treatment as well,” adds Dr. Deng.

Before and after

And just in case you were wondering what micro-plastic surgery is, it encompasses the vast world of fillers. As Dr. Li explains, “microplastic surgery procedures include botox injection, which is mainly used to solve the problem of dynamic wrinkles such as forehead lines, frown lines, crow’s feet, and neck fine lines, and hyaluronic acid filling, of which there are many brands both imported and domestic. According to the degree of need in different parts of each person, different amounts of hyaluronic acid can be selected, which are mainly used to fill and solve problems in certain areas such as when the nasolabial folds are sunken and the cheeks are sunken.”

How Long it Takes to Heal

According to both Dr. Li and Dr. Deng, the injection process of botox usually takes five to ten minutes. It is recommended to avoid water for four to six hours after injection to avoid pinhole infections. Avoid overheating within three days after injection. Wash your face with water and avoid strong massages. It starts to take effect in three to seven days. The effect is usually maintained for three to six months. Different people have different muscle strengths and different recovery speeds.

In addition, people with rich expressions have a relatively short efficacy time period with Botox. In order to maintain it for a long period of time, you can achieve this effect through a single injection of a large dose, but a single high-dose injection will also increase the discomfort of people who are more expressive than others.

Word to the Wise!

When it comes to who should be poking and prodding your face with fillers, Dr. Deng has useful advice. “Such procedures should be performed by a certified plastic surgeon or a cosmetic dermatologist at a medical center such as a hospital or a cosmetic clinic.” Dr. Li adds: “Choose someone who has performed such procedures on people you may know whose results you find satisfactory. Choose carefully, slowly start trying out different items, and when the changes are brought about, if you are satisfied, return to the same doctor, because the doctor will understand your needs better, your feedback after each injection, and the maintenance time, In order to make the most suitable injection plan for you.”

And as for how much it might set you back, the possible cost of different items is not the same. “In Beijing, botox such as Hengli, the quotation is about RMB 400 to 800 depending on the injection site, and the price of botox fluctuates from RMB 1,000 to RMB 2,000. The price is based on the whole vile of the product to be used. 100u usually comes in at RMB 1,600 to RMB 2,600, and botox 100u is quoted at RMB 4,500 to RMB 8000,” explains Dr. Li.

In short, it is quite alright to be worried. Making the right decision when it comes to a medical-based decision could not be any more important. But do not be afraid to consult a Chinese doctor, and enjoy the ‘less is more’ philosophy of beauty that keeps everyone looking younger and fresh-faced for longer.

KEEP READING: Penny For Your Thoughts? Accessing Mental Health in Beijing

Photos: Courtesy of Dr. Li,  Dr. Deng, Unsplash 

Health Insurance is a hot topic for many foreigners in China as people look to protect themselves and spread the costs of hefty medical bills. International hospitals in China are now some of the most expensive in the world. Take this into account when family planning in Beijing.

Your need for insurance does not start when you have your first baby, it actually starts at least a year before.

Much can be written about this subject so in this blog I will focus on the key areas of family policies. The first point to note here is that your need for insurance does not start when you have your first baby, it actually starts at least a year before.

Maternity Cover
Most policies will enforce a waiting period before you will be covered for maternity related claims and this period is usually 12 months. Thus, the policy needs to be in place 12 months before you can claim for pre-natal packages, scans, delivery and so forth. Of course this pre-planning is not always possible but it will likely save you thousands of dollars if followed.

Most policies do not have an unlimited amount that you can claim in maternity expenses. There will be upper limit caps, most often between USD7,500 to USD20,000 per pregnancy.You should first decide on which hospital you intend to use for your pregnancy and research how much their packages cost. You can then choose a policy that will have an upper limit that will accommodate the hospital and package that you choose. Here in Beijing you will find that many of the full maternity packages at international hospitals are approaching the USD10,000 mark, and perhaps not coincidentally the most common upper limit on a policy is USD10,000. If you want to be covered for anything outside of a ‘normal pregnancy’ you may need a higher upper limit and thus an increase in your monthly premium.

When maternity cover is included the insurers are expecting you to use it, so the monthly premiums reflect this fact as the insurers look to protect themselves before a big claim is made. If you are cost focused, then a great way to substantially reduce your premiums is to remove ‘Luxury Providers’ from the policy. Many insurers will group the most expensive hospitals into this category, so if you are happy to use a more local style hospital then you may find your premiums will drop by up to 40%. If you do your research you will find that many of these local hospitals have a good standard of care and often have VIP departments that speak English.

Family Policies
If you are looking to insure more than one person on a policy then you need to consider whether a family policy is right for you. If you try to get an insurance quote with at least one parent and at least one child on the policy then usually you will be automatically given a family policy quote. This is a double edged sword as there are specific benefits on these polices such as new born cover and child related wellness benefits that most people want, but you may end up paying for benefits that you will never use.

I will give you two common scenarios that I regularly come across to highlight this issue. Firstly, there is the couple who are planning to have their first child. For those who are not on expat packages, this is often the first time they have decided to take out a family health insurance policy. It would seem logical to obtain a quote to cover both persons ensuring that maternity is included. The quote that you will receive will cover both persons to the same level and the premium will reflect this. The upshot of this is that the male on the policy is effectively covered for maternity as well, a benefit that would be very impressive if he was ever able to use. It may well be more beneficial and cost effective to have two separate polices with the woman having a more comprehensive cover to include maternity but for the man to have a separate policy focusing on inpatient and A & E cover.

The second common scenario is for two parents with one or more children to be insured. A similar consideration should be given as to whether the man really wants to be on the same policy as the rest of the family if you are looking to save money. The benefits that the children get on the policy are exactly the same regardless of whether there are one or two parents on the same policy. Maternity cover will usually come as standard as there are children on the policy, so it may well be cheaper to insure the mother and the children on one policy and the father on another separate policy.

I am regularly asked whether children can be insured on a policy on their own. Generally speaking, children under the age of 16 cannot be insured on their own as they do not have legal capacity to enter into the contract so at least one parent will also have to be on the policy.

Heath Insurance in China in 2016
The landscape for insuring expats in China is rapidly changing and unfortunately this is driving prices higher year on year. Many insurers now group China, Hong Kong and Singapore into a higher premium category than ever before as International hospitals start to reach near USA level prices.

I have noticed that some Insurance companies are starting to remove Direct Billing from top international hospitals in a bid to reduce regular claims, so make sure you check that your hospital of choice has direct billing set up with the insurer before taking out a policy. If not,you will be paying cash and filling out forms for each claim, which is not much fun.

As an overview there are three key factors to a health insurance policy: price, cover and will the insurer actually pay out. The price and cover are the two that most people focus on as they are easy to compare and contrast between different insurers and different policies. Whether the insurer will actually pay out is grossly overlooked and you should always remember that with insurance you usually get what you pay for as it is such a competitive market. If you see a policy that has the same benefits as ten other competitors but is 30 percent cheaper, then you need to really consider where they are making their savings.A common criticism that is leveled at the China domestic insurance market is that the prices are cheap but the insurers willingness to pay on claims is questionable.

Finally, you can take insurance out online or through a professional broker or financial adviser. The prices are always exactly the same whether you go direct to the insurance company or through a third party broker, as brokers and advisers are paid a flat commission from the insurance company.Always the best advice is to talk to an independent professional as they will be able to tailor the correct policy and insurer to suite your specific needs.

Photo: hubspot.net, Quinn Dombrowski (Flickr)