The beauty is appreciated and embraced even among Albanians, who are now deprived of mentality and complexity, and find it increasingly in private clinic doors. The clinics report growth and nearly double the revenue each year, which proves the business potential of millions. Which interventions are most preferred? What is the trend of the next few years and how is competition affecting a small market like Albania?
A blonde, seven-year-old girl was sitting in the waiting room of a private clinic in the capital with her nose bandaged. After a few minutes, he started walking the corridor of the same clinic. Afterwards, he reached out to me in Italian to ask me what intervention I would make. Explaining that I had left the doctor for an interview about plastic surgery, Pamela, 23, from Italy, told me the reasons for her current anxiety.
“Today, I have the bandage removal day, 10 days have passed since surgery, I’m very curious to know how my new nose has turned out,” says Pamela. After leaving the visit, her smile would indicate that everything went well. The doctor then explained to me that rhinoplasty, or nose remodeling intervention, is the most demanding surgery, both by foreigners and Albanians, whose cost is not high.
For over a decade now, the boom in plastic surgery has included a small country like Albania, especially in the last 5 years. The history of aesthetic interventions dates back to earlier cases where aesthetics interfered with health, such as breathing problems, etc.
In 2019, market players speak of a more structured market, where competition has significantly reduced prices, out-of-pocketed non-professionals, made Albanians more aware of the medical importance of where to get services, even non-invasive interventions. The informality problem is lower, the company balance sheets show a significant increase in the activity of the main clinics.
The Instagram effect seems to potentially boost customers in Albania too, where the thirst for beauty and look has been proven over the years. On the other hand, increasing obesity drives the market and health tourism has a significant impact on the turnover of clinics, which offer the same service (often the same Italian doctors specifically) at prices two to three times lower.
Increasing demand
In addition to increasing self-care costs, there has also been a significant increase in the tendency for plastic surgery. According to data that Monitor has released based on balance sheet processing, plastic surgery clinics have had a significant increase in revenue during 2017 compared to 2016. In 2018, the throughput of some clinics has continued to double, while others have stopped.
The increasing demand in the market for services of this nature has also fueled the growth of businesses in this sector. The expansion of demand has influenced the dynamics of this rapidly growing market, embracing new trends, developing more innovative technologies for intervention.
Market operators claim that the highest requirements are those for nose remodeling, at least 50% of interventions related to it. Aliens continue to require mainly nose remodeling and breast augmentation surgeries. There is a growing demand for non-evasive intervention among Albanians. Dr. Silvana Vishaj, a plastic surgeon, says that in recent years, technological development and efficient use of the latest methods has enabled the sector and people to perform non-invasive interventions, which appear to have been greatly enhanced among Albanians.
“With the great boom in the science of plastic surgery and aesthetic medicine, a large part of the interventions that were once performed through scalpel are performed today with non-painful and non-invasive methods that provide the patient with exceptional comfort. With these quick, pain-free methods, portrait renewal and refinement can be achieved. These methods do not require recovery, take 30-45 minutes and the patient can return to his normal activity immediately â?- says dr. Vishaj.
At the Diva Clinic they claim that nose shape corrections and chest enlargement are the two most sought after surgeries, but there are no requirements for eye lid correction, facial lifting, ear shape adjustment or eyebrow raising. The demand for botox and body shape reconstitution through liposuction has also increased in both women and men.
Currently, at the Keit Clinic, the statistics department reports more than 8,000 interventions a month, a figure that demonstrates the growth of the plastic surgery market, taking into account the addition of on-site clinics. However, it is worth noting that clients are not only Albanian. Our country is attracting more and more foreign tourists year after year for its services.
Nose and ear surgeries, according to plastic surgery experts, were the first to be done in Albania and then gradually others. During the years of the communist regime, some interventions were carried out, but considered necessary and not for purely aesthetic purposes.
Nowadays, performing an aesthetic intervention for image enhancement seems quite normal and the number of requests from men has increased. Dr. Skerdi Faria from the “Keit” Clinic shows that Albanian women, compared to those in Italy, prefer to be cured and the increase in the number of interventions in recent years shows this, rejecting past mentalities.
Dr. Scherdi shows that compared to 2017, last year saw a 30% increase in aesthetic interventions and that certain services, such as lifting, noses, etc., over 50% increase. Another intervention required, especially in 2019, has been hair transplant, which is in high demand from foreign or Albanian patients living abroad.
According to Mr. Arbri Faria from the “DaVinci” clinic, our country is better positioned than its neighbors in the region for investments made in this field, as well as the increased demand for intervention and their delivery to European standards.
Dr. Constantine Balloma, of Luis Medical Center, claims rhinoplasty is the most widespread intervention of all other plastic-aesthetic interventions, even at his clinic. â??Rhinoplasty has been demanded by Albanians because of genetics. It should be kept in mind that it is an area of professional practice, mainly of a specialized otorhinolaryngologist.
It alone is the sole responsibility of simultaneously adjusting the distortion of the nasal curtain and the external appearance of the nose, thereby achieving a lasting and successful result both aesthetically and functionally. Because through an intervention, a narcotic and a little trouble one can solve a double problem, because the aesthetic and functional problem almost always coexist, â?he says.
“Regarding the age most appropriate for rhinoplasty, we can safely say that there is no specific age limit that can limit or stop the intervention. Rhinoplasty can be done at any stage of adult life. The view that subjects over the age of 50 are not allowed to undergo a nasal curtain or rhinoplasty intervention is already a thing of the past, as a result of the discovery of new and modern surgery techniques, â?says Dr. Patch.
How are the prices?
There are significant differences between private clinics and interventions that you can perform at a state hospital. For example, for a nose surgery, the operation is estimated at 1.2 million ALL, while in private it starts at 1500 euros. On the other hand, ear surgery is a not so simple procedure, but fluctuates again at the same levels.
With an operation price of up to 1500 euros, nose remodeling is among the most sought-after and performed interventions at the leading plastic surgery clinics in our country. Dr. Scherdi from the Keit Clinic says this is for two reasons. The first, because Albanians have some genetic form of a nosebleed, and the second, how everything new, is soon embraced by young people, who no longer deny themselves a better look. Technology, too, according to him, has had its impact, namely the use of selfies, Instagram etc.
Dr. Arben Kucani, a specialist in plastic surgery, told Monitor that at the start of plastic surgeries in our country, Albanian VIPs were the first to come in, who, like other doctors claim, came with “glasses and hood “. â??Already, with the change of mindset, the breaking of taboos, there are many young Albanians who want to intervene and do it without being as complex as before. Lowering the prices of services, and even the attendance of the state service have made such interventions more tangible for the wider population. The most requested interventions continue to be the nose and the lips â?, – states dr. Kucan.
Market operators claim a slight drop in intervention prices, attributed to the addition of private clinics as well as to the diversification of aesthetic services so that all categories find a suitable price for a particular service. Most clinics also offer the option of paying in installments of the required service.
Small market
Dr. Scherdi reports significant demand growth every year, but emphasizes the fact that Albania is a small market, even in this sector.
â??Competition has grown more over the years, normally not as pronounced as in Italy, yet every clinic has its clientele. It should be noted that Albania has no tradition in this field, plastic surgery is somewhat special compared to other surgeries, especially in terms of professional training. In the world, Brazil leads in the tradition of this field of surgery, the US as well, but Italy is among the leaders after Latin America.
The first challenge we have had in Albania is the fight against mentality. The market is small and compared to this market here, the competition is there, it’s strong. However, recognizing the Italian market, Albania’s strong point is definitely the lower taxes in our country compared to Western countries, but the costs of this business are high â?- says Dr. Scherdi, who adds that foreign surgeons are demanding high fees, while intervention prices are falling in Albania.
“I think this is a type of business that doesn’t make you rich, it works, and the profit is modest, compared to the costs of this kind of surgery. Chest dentures, work materials, equipment, etc., are not manufactured in Albania and their import (payment to Customs) increases these labor costs, while service tariffs do not increase, on the contrary, we also reduce our campaigns â? he concludes.
informality
A year ago, the sector that is oriented to aesthetic interventions was considered as one of the highest risk of evasion by the General Taxation Department. Alongside the growth of this business, there is widespread debate about adopting a separate law that will regulate the market where these clinics operate but, above all, provide security for the materials. In many cases there has been a reported lack of supervision and control over various aesthetic salons that provide lip swelling or even more procedures, without using controlled materials or professionals to perform them.
The incidence of those who, after an intervention in a non-specialized salon, end up in larger clinics, is on the rise. “Most worrying is the fact that seemingly simple treatments, such as lip swelling or wrinkle reduction with botox, are being done in specialist centers and by non-professionals. In this way, the chances of being mistaken in inappropriate centers are higher and also the number of unhappy people is higher, â?said Keith Clinic Director Skerdi earlier for the Monitor. Faria.
The business of millions
Official data from company balance sheets (last reporting year 2017, 2018 has not yet been submitted to
NRC) show significant increase in revenue that circulated clinics with a focus on aesthetic surgery activity. For only 4 clinics analyzed, revenue turnover for the last reporting year in 2017 was more than ALL 200 million.
KEIT Clinic is the largest of its kind in Albania. In 2017, it reported revenue of ALL 164 million, up 10% from a year earlier and 40% from two years ago.
Growth is also reported at the “DaVinci” clinic, with revenue growth of 17%, while in 2016 there was an 80% increase compared to the first year of its opening in 2015. In 2018 Davinci’s revenue almost doubled , amounting to about 65 million ALL.
The other DermoLife Clinic has increased its activity income by 75% in 2016 to ALL 15.2 million, while in 2017 there was a contraction in activity. Clinic executives attribute this shrinkage to a focus on non-invasive interventions, which do not generate as much profit as competition has increased. Plastic surgery is also being offered by major hospitals, such as American and Hygeia, but the company’s balance sheet does not report in particular the revenue share these services bring.
TREND
If 2018 was the year of plastic surgery and removal of complexes around interventions, 2019 would be the year of removing a large number of dentures, minor corrections to the face and body, while preserving natural facial and physical authenticity. And according to experts, a larger number of patients will begin treatment at a younger age as preventive treatments. This global trend is already expected to be embraced by Albanians in the next 5 years.
The global beauty market
According to a new report by Market Research Future (MRFR), the global market for cosmetic surgery will reach $ 21.97 billion by the end of 2023. The market is estimated to expand to 7.8% during the evaluation period (2017 -2023) largely due to social and cultural factors such as the influence of the film industry, media and fashion.
Plastic surgery is a special segment of surgery that involves rebuilding and changing the human body. Health factors such as increased obesity, accidents, increasing margins of safety of cosmetic surgery, increasing number of cosmetic surgery hospitals etc. Technological factors such as the development of advanced materials such as implants, silicones, etc.
Economic factors such as rising per capita income, falling cost of cosmetic surgeries, etc.
A key factor affecting market growth is the high demand for minimally invasive and non-invasive cosmetic surgeries, as these operations involve the use of techniques that cause less bodily harm when compared to conventional procedures such as open surgeries. Also, newer and more advanced technologies such as laser techniques are being adopted for facial cosmetic procedures.
The growing popularity of these minimally invasive procedures can be attributed to minimal dissatisfaction due to shorter hospital stays and longer-term success rates. Thus, the increasing demand for minimally invasive cosmetic surgeries will drive the growth of the cosmetic surgery market.
In geographical terms, North America and Europe dominate the global plastic surgery market. This is due to the aging of the growing population and high adoption rates of aesthetic products in these regions. The US represents the largest market for plastic surgery, followed by Canada in North America. In Europe, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom hold the largest share of the plastic surgery market.