For patients travelling from abroad
Planning your treatment trip to Cali
How many days you actually need, how to book before you fly, what happens after you go home — and an honest look at the risks of treating abroad.
The short version: for non-surgical facial treatments, plan 3 to 5 days. For minor facial surgery, plan 10 to 14. Book the consultation before you fly. And read the section on risk below — it is the part most clinics leave out.
A realistic timeline
Non-surgical treatments · 3 to 5 days
- Before you fly: message us with your dates. Optional video assessment so we arrive at the consultation already oriented.
- Day 1: 60-minute consultation. Full facial assessment, treatment plan and exact written pricing.
- Day 2: the procedure, under topical or local anaesthetic.
- Days 3–4: swelling settles. You can go out; you will look slightly swollen, not unpresentable.
- Day 5: follow-up review, then fly home.
Minor facial surgery · 10 to 14 days
Blepharoplasty, otoplasty and buccal fat removal are performed under local anaesthetic as day procedures, but they need suture removal between days 5 and 7 and the first week of swelling is significant. Plan the longer stay. Do not book a return flight for day four and hope.
Practical details
- Airport: Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International (CLO), roughly 30 minutes from the practice.
- Where to stay: the south of Cali — Ciudad Jardín and around — keeps you close to appointments.
- Getting around: ride-hailing apps work well and are inexpensive.
- Climate: Cali sits at around 1,000 m with a warm climate year-round, typically 23–30 °C. Bring high-factor sun protection — it matters after any facial procedure.
- Payment: cash, credit and debit cards, contactless. In Colombian pesos.
That risk is much lower with reversible treatments — hyaluronic acid can be dissolved — than with biostimulators or surgery, which cannot be undone. If this is your first treatment and you are travelling for it, starting with something reversible is a reasonable and deliberately conservative choice. We would rather you did less on this trip and came back than the opposite.
How to check any clinic — including this one
- Who performs the procedure? It should be a licensed physician, not an assistant or a technician.
- What product will be used, and what brand? It should be registered with INVIMA, the Colombian health authority, with visible packaging and traceability.
- Is hyaluronidase available on site? It is the emergency treatment for a vascular occlusion. If a clinic injecting filler does not have it to hand, walk away.
- Ask to see unretouched before-and-after cases of your specific procedure, not a general gallery.
Send us your travel dates
We'll tell you honestly what fits in your stay and what doesn't — before you book flights, not after.
Message us on WhatsApp →Frequently asked questions
How far in advance should I book?
Two to four weeks is comfortable. Message us as soon as you have travel dates: we will hold a consultation slot and, if you want, do a preliminary video assessment so we already know what we're planning before you land.
Which airport do I fly into?
Cali's Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport (CLO), about 30 minutes from the practice. It has direct connections with Bogotá, Medellín, Panama City, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Madrid and several regional hubs.
Where should I stay?
The practice is in Ciudad Jardín, in the south of Cali — a residential, well-served area with hotels nearby. Staying in the south means a short journey to your appointments rather than crossing the city.
What if something goes wrong after I fly home?
This is the right question to ask, and it deserves a straight answer. Dr. Mesías provides remote follow-up by WhatsApp and video for as long as you need it. But you should know that if a procedure requires physical correction, you would have to travel back. That risk is inherent to treating abroad and it is lower with reversible treatments — hyaluronic acid can be dissolved — than with surgery or permanent biostimulators. It is a factor worth weighing when choosing what to have done on a trip.
Can I have surgery and fly home a few days later?
For the minor facial surgery performed here — blepharoplasty, otoplasty, buccal fat removal — you should plan 10 to 14 days in country, because sutures need removing and swelling is significant in the first week. Do not compress that timeline: flying too early after facial surgery is a genuine risk, not a formality.
How do I pay?
Cash, credit and debit cards and contactless payments are accepted at the practice. Payment is made in Colombian pesos. Card payments in a foreign currency will be converted by your bank at its own rate.
Are the prices really that much lower?
Aesthetic procedures in Colombia generally cost a fraction of equivalent treatment in the United States, Canada or Western Europe. That difference comes from labour costs and market structure, not from cutting corners on materials — the products used here are the same international brands. That said, do not choose on price alone: verify the practitioner's credentials wherever you go.
The first step
Your consultation with Dr. Sthefanny
A 60-minute private assessment to analyse your face and design your plan. You leave knowing exactly what you need, what it costs and how long it takes. If you are travelling, we can arrange it around your dates.