Four Features that Make Houston a Great Plastic Surgery Center

1. For Once, the Big City is Convenient

Houston's economy has a broad industrial base in the energy, manufacturing, aeronautics, and technology; only New York City is home to more Fortune 500 headquarters. It is the largest city in Texas and fourth largest in the United States. Unlike New York, however, it is very much a horizontal urban area - the city itself spreads over 600 square miles and the metro area at least twice that.

That means that outlying areas are going to have a complete array of commercial services. The Baylor College of Medicine is affiliated with the Children's Hospital and Clinic in the city; in nearby Sugar Land is the West Houston Medical Center and the Sugar Land Medical Center; the Texas Medical Center is a teaching hospital and clinic in town; and as the city spreads out so do the pockets of medical service.

2. Appearance Counts

Houston is a cosmopolitan city with its own arts and cultural scene and a large, affluent business community. The wealth and immensity of the place has helped set a standard for appearance that rivals California's Santa Barbara or Orange County. Women in Houston dress well and take great care with their appearance. That means the facilities area available to maintain and enhance personal appearance, and that they are available throughout a large area.

3. Acceptance

Cosmetic surgery in many of Houston's communities is a given. There is little or no social stigma attached to surgical improvements; Houston's plastic surgeons are an established and accepted part of the city's social structure. The impact of this sort of acceptability is that it draws accomplished professionals. A large, wealthy city where cosmetic surgery is a mainstream procedure is enticing to professionals entering the cosmetic enhancement professions.

Another critical element of social acceptance is the opportunity to network. Talk with women who have sought cosmetic surgery or outpatient treatments and get treatment recommendations as well as reputations for established practitioners.

4. Competition

Houston's large consumer base for cosmetic surgery has resulted in a large body of professionals to provide services. That has led to healthy competition, because it has forced competition among the professionals that keeps prices under control and that results in an interesting variety of treatment options.

Houston is known for its day spas with every degree of luxury and an astonishing array of physical improvement services. Often cosmetic plastic surgeons are affiliated with these facilities. The result is that you can walk through the entire range of cosmetic improvement options, from spa treatments to full surgical lifts. One stop shopping is a luxury in itself.

By Mary Hart