Adios, America: The World’s Top Plastic Surgery Destinations

Cosmetic procedures usually happen close to home: a trusted Beverly Hills surgeon, a discreet Park Avenue dermo, that standing appointment between projects for a little refresh. With aesthetic tourism on the rise, boarding a flight for a better (and cheaper) upper bleph has become increasingly common. Estimates from independent market research firms place the value of the global cosmetic medical tourism market at between $8.89 billion and $38.8 billion in 2026, with projections ranging from $48.74 billion to $126.2 billion by 2035.

But who, other than A-list stars in between marquee movies, can take a month off to recover from a deep plane? And what if rolling into the office with not-fully-healed bruises (sunglasses only get you so far) isn’t an option, either?

Pay little mind to proximity — it’s all about downtime. Medical-tourism concierges can arrange everything from virtual consultations and physician vetting to airport transfers, translators, hotel stays, private nurses, lymphatic massages and postoperative appointments. Fees can begin around $500 per treatment category for a curated beauty itinerary and climb into five figures for comprehensive VIP planning and recovery management. Or consult THR’s guide to global procedures organized by the amount of recovery time required to fit them into a production schedule or limited paid time off.

Recovery Time*: Same Day to 48 Hours

*All recovery times are based on length of time in country and do not include travel times.

HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM

Whole-Body MRI and Comprehensive Health Screening

Vietnam’s emerging executive-health programs package advanced diagnostics into a single visit: whole-body or targeted MRI scans with lab tests, cardiovascular assessments, cancer screenings and physician consultations. The testing may identify certain abnormalities before symptoms emerge. For executives, actors and entrepreneurs whose schedules rarely allow time for preventive care, the attraction is simple: understanding what’s happening inside the body before it becomes a problem. Cost: Under $1,000. Comparable Beverly Hills Cost: $4,500+, plus add-on testing.

PANAMA CITY, PANAMA

Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy

Patients aren’t flying to Panama to look younger. They’re flying there in hopes of aging better. At Auragens Regenerative Medicine and Research Institute, regenerative medicine has become the centerpiece of a growing longevity movement, attracting A-listers and wellness obsessives seeking access to therapies unavailable at home. When administered intravenously, human umbilical mesenchymal stem cells release signals that reduce inflammation and promote repair, addressing age-related decline at the cellular level. For on-camera talent and high-performance professionals, the appeal isn’t a visible transformation. It’s preserving energy, resilience and health for the long haul. “Our product is excreting its messengers — what are called exosomes — and teaching your own cells how to behave, react and repair,” Dr. Dan Briggs says. Cost: $14,500–$28,750+ on average. Comparable Beverly Hills Cost: Therapy not available in the U.S.

Recovery Time: Three to Seven Days

ISTANBUL, TURKEY

Hair Restoration

Hair restoration has become one of the entertainment industry’s least-secret procedures. Istanbul attracts actors, athletes, musicians and creators seeking denser hairlines and more natural results, helping transform what was once a taboo procedure into routine maintenance. The process relocates healthy follicles to areas affected by thinning or recession. At Estenove, physician and hair-transplant medical team lead Dr. Zafer Çetinkaya performs follicular unit extraction (FUE) and direct hair implantation (DHI), in which extracted follicles are placed with an implanter pen. Depending on the patient’s hair-loss pattern, his team may use sapphire-tipped blades to create recipient sites, combine implantation methods or restore facial hair through beard transplantation. Careful donor management and hairline design are central to creating results that complement the patient’s facial structure and existing growth pattern. For anyone whose image is tied to their career, restoring a fuller hairline can dramatically alter appearance without looking like cosmetic work. Cost: $3,000-$8,000. Comparable Beverly Hills Cost: $12,000-$30,000+

NEWPORT BEACH, CALIFORNIA

Skin Tightening and Muscle Restoration

As GLP-1 medications reshape Hollywood, surgeons like Dr. Ali Tehrani are seeing a wave of patients who’ve successfully lost the weight, but are now trying to erase the sagging evidence left behind, what many surgeons now call “Ozempic body.” Tehrani’s patients include executives, entertainers and public-facing professionals looking to restore definition to the arms, abdomen, shoulders and chest without the extensive scars associated with traditional body-lift surgery. “Four or five years ago, most of my patients came in because they had fat that needed to be removed. Today, they’re coming in because they’re fit, but they have loose skin,” says Tehrani. Cost: $8,000-$30,000+. Comparable Beverly Hills Cost: $10,000-$50,000+

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

Pigmentation Correction and Skin Rejuvenation

While Americans obsess over smoothing wrinkles, South Korea focuses on something harder to achieve: flawless skin. Talent, broadcasters and creators travel to Seoul seeking treatments for pigmentation, sun damage and uneven tone using picosecond or Q-switched laser treatments with fractional lasers, chemical peels and prescription topicals, chasing a beauty standard built around skin quality. Pigmentation, redness and texture often become more noticeable than wrinkles on high-definition cameras. At Dr. Skinny Clinic, Seoul-based aesthetic physician Dr. Choi Bo Youn serves a public-facing clientele seeking brighter, smoother and more even-looking skin — results designed to read as healthy and rested under the scrutiny of high-definition cameras. Cost: $2,000-$8,000. Comparable Beverly Hills Cost: $5,000-$15,000+

Recovery Time: Seven to 14 Days

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Vaginal Rejuvenation and Women’s Wellness

Patients travel to Dubai seeking solutions tied to postpartum recovery, menopause and intimate health, reflecting a broader shift toward functional aesthetics. Addressing concerns ranging from pelvic-floor support to changes associated with childbirth and aging, treatments administered by pros like Dr. Kübra Altintaş range from surgical vaginoplasty (to tighten the canal and surrounding muscles) to labiaplasty (surgical reduction or reshaping of the labia minora or majora) to laser or radiofrequency treatments to stimulate collagen production for laxity. Cost: $4,000-$12,000. Comparable Beverly Hills Cost: $8,000-$20,000+

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

Lower Blepharoplasty

The hottest eye procedure isn’t about looking younger. It’s about looking less exhausted. Seoul’s specialists, like Dr. Jung Jong Pil, have become known for creating rested, natural-looking eyes that don’t advertise that surgery ever happened. Lower blepharoplasties reposition fat and remove excess baggage under the eyes, addressing puffiness and hollowing that can make patients appear tired even when they’re not. For television personalities and industry types who spend their lives on camera, it can be one of the most effective ways to appear refreshed. Cost: $4,000-$10,000. Comparable Beverly Hills Cost: $10,000-$25,000+

TOKYO, JAPAN

Facial Fat Grafting

Japan’s approach to facial aging is remarkably simple: Put back what time has taken away. Fat grafting has become a favored alternative to fillers, restoring volume with a patient’s own tissue and producing results that are subtle enough to go unremarked upon. Aging often creates hollows around the eyes, temples and cheeks. By restoring lost volume with the patient’s own fat, surgeons such as Dr. Shunsuke Nagura, creator of the “fat-suction injection” facial liposuction combined with a thread lift or fat-dissolving injections, can soften those changes while preserving natural facial movement — a priority for performers whose faces remain their primary instrument. Cost: $5,000-$15,000. Comparable Beverly Hills Cost: $12,000-$25,000+

Recovery Time: Two to Three Weeks

LONDON, U.K.

Deep Plane Face and Neck Lifts

The neck is one of the biggest giveaways of age. As facelifts become increasingly natural-looking, the focus has shifted from simply tightening skin to restoring the underlying structure of the face, jawline, and neck. London consultant plastic surgeon Rajiv Grover specializes in deep-plane facelifting and facial surgery that releases and repositions the deeper facial layer known as the SMAS. Because the SMAS connects with the platysma muscle of the neck, treating the two together can improve the cheeks, jowls, jawline and neck as a continuous unit. Grover’s individualized approach, which he calls “Facelift Couture,” may use photographs from a patient’s younger years to help restore familiar contours rather than impose a standardized result. Cost: Deep-plane face-and-neck lift: $25,000-$45,000+; isolated neck lift: $10,000-$20,000+. Comparable Beverly Hills Cost: deep-plane face-and-neck lift, $25,000-$100,000+; isolated neck lift, $15,000-$35,000+.

TIJUANA AND MEXICO CITY, MEXICO

Rhinoplasty

Mexico’s nose specialists such as Dr. Juan Carlos Fuentes in Tijuana and Dr. Rogelio Martínez Wagner in Mexico City attract international patients seeking refinement, balance and results subtle enough to pass unnoticed onscreen and off. Rhinoplasty can improve both appearance and breathing while bringing greater harmony to the face. Today’s patients are seeking refinement rather than reinvention — a point that is particularly important for those whose faces are already familiar to audiences. Cost: $5,000-$12,000. Comparable Beverly Hills Cost: $12,000-$30,000+

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

V-Line Surgery and Facial Contouring

You, too, can look as snatched as a K-pop star. Jawline contouring to create a tapering of the chin (i.e. the v-line) has become another of South Korea’s most sought-after aesthetic exports, reflecting a beauty ideal focused on facial architecture. Mandible-angle reduction, which shaves prominent rear corners of the jaw, and genioplasty, which cuts and repositions the chin bone, are performed by surgeons like Sang Hoon Park (he is credited with inventing v-line) to create greater definition and balance. The appeal lies in altering the face’s framework rather than simply addressing signs of aging. Cost: $8,000-$20,000. Comparable Beverly Hills Cost: $20,000-$50,000+

Recovery Time: Four to Six Weeks

ANTALYA, TURKEY

Full Smile Makeover

Antalya has become one of the busiest destinations for smile makeovers, combining cosmetic procedures such as porcelain veneers with restorative treatments including crowns, bridges and dental implants. Prosthodontist Dr. Tevfik Yavuz says his smile-design process uses digital measurements and simulations to plan tooth shape, color and alignment in relation to the patient’s facial features, gum line and bite. Treatment may include E-max or laminate veneers, zirconia crowns, whitening, orthodontics or gum contouring. Cost: $3,000-$12,000. Comparable Beverly Hills Cost: $40,000-$100,000+

SÃO PAOLO, BRAZIL

Hybrid Breast Augmentation

Brazil helped define modern cosmetic surgery. Today, the country’s most sought-after procedures aren’t about going bigger, like the notorious BBL, or Brazilian butt lift of yore. They’re about creating athletic proportions, natural movement and bodies that look sculpted. São Paulo plastic surgeon Dr. Alexandre Mendonça Munhoz has published extensively on hybrid breast augmentation, which combines a smaller silicone implant with fat harvested through liposuction. The implant supplies structure and volume, while strategically placed fat can soften its edges, refine asymmetries and create a more natural transition between the breast and chest. The technique may also pair breast enhancement with targeted body contouring. Cost: $8,000-$20,000. Comparable Beverly Hills Cost: $15,000-$40,000+

This story appears in The Hollywood Reporter’s July 2026 issue “The New Face of Hollywood.” Click here to read more.