Last year the number of British men and women choosing to travel abroad for cosmetic surgery rose by 200 per cent. Kelly Shorrock spoke to a Derbyshire woman about her experiences of going under the knife in Malaysia.
Looking into a mirror these days is like going back in time for Kim Ames.
For the taut skin and fresh complexion reflected back at her would be the envy of most other 45-year-olds.
Sometimes, when she goes out with her 26-year-old daughter Stacey, the two are even mistaken
for sisters.
But the face that used to look back at her from the mirror was very different.
After years of feeling unhappy about her appearance, she decided to take action
to regain her youthful looks, and have cosmetic surgery, booking a facelift and
breast augmentation.
But rather than going under the knife in the UK, she opted to have the work carried out abroad - travelling
to Malaysia for surgery followed by a two-week holiday.
She is not alone, with a sharp increase in the number of British men and women choosing to travel overseas for surgery in recent years.
Mrs Ames booked her holiday and surgery through Australian company Gorgeous Getaways.
Kim said: "I visited several surgeons in the UK but didn't really feel comfortable with any when I met them.
"After reading about other people's experiences and chatting to people online, I decided to go for it.
"I always knew that if I got out there and it didn't feel right, I wouldn't have to go ahead with it. But everything
went brilliantly.
"The staff were all amazing. The surgeon even gave me his mobile number and said I could call him any time of
the day or night if I was worried about anything."
With surgery overseas much cheaper than in the UK, price is often one of the main reasons for patients travelling abroad.
Mrs Ames paid about £5,500 for a full facelift, breast implants that took her from a 34B to a 34DD, flights to
Malaysia and a two-week stay in four-star accommodation for herself and husband Patrick.
The pair met four years ago through a dating agency and, after moving in together, Mrs Ames decided to use
some of the money made on the sale of her house to finance the trip.
She said: "Just the surgery alone would have cost about £8,000 in the UK. In Malaysia, the hospitals were cleaner,
the aftercare was excellent and we got two weeks in the sun."
Third party insurance for cosmetic procedures is not usually available because the operations are elective.
But Gorgeous Getaways reassures customers that all the hospitals and surgeons they use are fully insured against damages and there have been no claims made against them to date.
Mrs Ames did admit to having pre-operation nerves.
"I did hear of one woman who had some problems after surgery and she was operated on again for free, but the
risks are just the same here as they are over there."
The support of her husband was a big part of her decision to go ahead with the surgery.
The pair tied the knot last year and although her husband loves her new look, Mrs Ames, who works as a cleaner at Nottingham University and Belfield Furnishings in Ilkeston, insists the surgery was very much her own decision.
She said: "Patrick always said he thought I was beautiful as I was. But he also knew how insecure I felt and how low
my confidence was."
Her daughter was apprehensive when she heard the plans to go abroad for surgery but also supported her.
Mrs Ames said the reaction from friends had been very positive. "People were quite curious and did stare a bit at
first. But I think people notice me more now and I feel much better in myself.
"I used to avoid looking people in the eye because I thought they were staring at my wrinkles, but now I have so much more confidence."
Mr Ames said: "I had already proposed to Kim before she decided to go ahead with the surgery but I totally supported her decision.
"I did feel a little bit nervous when they took her into surgery but being able to chat with the surgeon beforehand really helped and she seemed very relaxed.
"Now she has so much more confidence and is a much happier person."
Mrs Ames has not ruled out more surgery in the future - with a tummy tuck next on her list.
"If I was going to have more surgery, I would definitely get it done abroad again. I can recommend it." Looking into a mirror these days is like going back in time for Kim Ames.
Survey Asked Kim's Age The Evening Telegraph surveyed the public in Derby city centre to find out how old they thought Kim was before and after her surgery - and the extreme guesses were a whopping 35 years apart.
A poll of 15 people revealed that from the 45-year-old's pre-operation picture, the average estimate was that she was 56. Guesses ranged from a reasonable 40 to a shocking 65, 20 years older than Kim's actual age.
The average estimate for the post-operation picture was 38, with the lowest coming in at a sprightly 30.
But the face that used to look back at her from the mirror was very different.
