THE beauty industry in Cebu is projected to see a continued promising demand, as people are now more willing to spend on aesthetic services.
“Cebu is promising. It’s the usual go-to place for people from Visayas and Mindanao for any medical, surgical and aesthetic procedures,” said Dr. Pamela Masongsong, chief executive officer and surgeon of Epic Aesthetics, which recently opened its clinic in Lahug, Cebu City.
Based on the 2020-2021 Medical Tourism Index, the Philippines is ranked number 24 out of 46 top medical tourism destinations globally, with cosmetic surgery as one of the top drivers.
In a country where beauty pageants are well celebrated, it is not a surprise how the facial cosmetic market of the Philippines is projected by Statista, a German research firm, to be a multimillion-dollar market.
It also signifies the exponential growth of the cosmetic and personal care industry, which includes facial plastic surgeries.
Medical tourism
With both government and private sectors being bullish on their tourism initiatives, the medical tourism sector here is also up for a recovery, Masongsong said.
With these opportunities, ENT (ear, nose, throat) doctors in Cebu have collaborated to invest in the facial plastics and beauty market through Epic (ENT professionals in collaboration), with two of its surgeons being board-certified fellows of facial plastics.
“And as a certified facial plastics fellow in ENT-head neck surgery, we are pitching in our expertise to the aesthetic industry in Cebu to have safer and more adept facial surgical techniques,” she said.
With the increasing middle income market, more people are now willing to splurge on beauty, partly driven by social media where being beautiful is highly celebrated.
She said beauty enhancement has also now become a “status symbol” for some people.
“Everyone needs regular facial care to feel good and confident. It’s not just for beauty queens or superstars. With the advent of safe and cost-effective procedures, whether it’s surgical or non-surgical, we are here to offer our experience in doing clinically safe services that will help everyday people,” Masongsong said.