Read more: Plastic surgery on rise
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PROMINENT Launceston plastic surgeons say the industry has increased ''big time'' in Tasmania in the past year, that a fifth surgeon is moving to the state to help cope with demand.
The new plastic surgeon will move to the state from Western Europe and bring expertise in microsurgery.
Tasmanian plastic surgeons are not only fixing injuries after trauma and reconstructing breasts following cancer, they are also enlarging breast for cosmetic reasons, injecting Tasmanians with botox and fillers and giving men eye lifts.
Launceston Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery Unit owner Gary Kode, who is also the head of plastic surgery department at the Launceston General Hospital, said he saw on average 100 people a year in regards to breast augmentations.
That figure does not include those needing reconstructive surgery following breast cancer, he said.
Mr Kode has also called for tighter restrictions on who is allowed to perform cosmetic and non-surgical procedures.
He also says Medicare and health insurance companies should cover costs of more operations.
More Tasmanians are also shifting to non-surgical treatments, such as botox and fillers.
Victoria's Cosmetic Medical Clinic owner Anne Talbot said requests for botox outweighed that of fillers at the High Street clinic.
She said the clinic got daily requests for tattoo removals, which they can now perform after spending half a million dollars on an enlighten laser tattoo removal machine.
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