SURGEONS UNWRAP THE REALITY OF DUBAI BOOM IN PLASTIC SURGERY
The industry is thriving in a culture of celebrity and pressure from social media, say medics at an international forum in the city, Nick Webster writes
The Instagram generation is driving Dubai’s booming cosmetic surgery industry – in some cases to the point of addiction – surgeons said as they met in the city for an annual summit.
Medics at the Dubai International Symposium for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery spoke of an increasing demand for buttock implants, skin tightening following dramatic weight loss, as well as a sharp rise in male patients.
Surgically enhanced buttocks have now overtaken breast implants as the cosmetic surgery of choice, as many women strive to achieve the “Kardashian effect”.
Doctors also reported a 30 per cent increase in inquiries from men about cosmetic surgery in Dubai, while psychologists have witnessed a rise in in patients being treated for plastic surgery addiction.
“Women are still more affected by social media and the demand to look a certain way, but men are catching up fast, especially in North America, and we are now seeing that here,” said Dr Bander Al Aithan, a Saudi plastic surgeon at the Bella Roma Medical and Aesthetic Surgery Centre.
“Ten years ago, a big behind was not seen as a sign of beauty in white women. That’s changed in recent years largely due to celebrities like Kim Kardashian.
“In the Middle East, women are choosing to have bigger breasts, but we advise patients to do what suits their ethnicity.”
Botox remains the most popular non-invasive treatment of choice for men and women, followed by soft-tissue fillers in women and laser hair removal for men.
The cosmetic industry is worth more than US$10 billion (Dh36.725bn) a year in the United States, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. And by some estimates Dubai has more plastic surgeons per capita than any other city in the world.
“We have extreme requests at the surgery, such as women asking for huge breasts,” said Dr Al Aithan. “We tell the patient although it’s possible, it’s not advisable because it can damage tissue. If I think the procedure will harm the patient, I’ll decline to do it.
“Many women now want to show off their behinds, it is a trend from South America.
“Surgery is booming, and butt surgery is now more popular than breast surgery.”
Cosmetic specialists at the conference said more people were choosing non-invasive procedures such as Botox and fillers to boost appearances because they have a quick turnaround time and are cheaper than surgery, although the effects usually only lasts six months.
Non-surgical nose jobs are now also available, using Botox to relax nasal muscles and fillers to smooth out kinks.
Patients can see changes within days, rather than the six months it takes for rhinoplasty to take full effect.
“Plastic surgery is always evolving and progressing, but we have to be careful we don’t quickly adopt new trends before they’re fully researched,” said Dr Zuhair Al Fardan, a breast and body contouring expert in Dubai.
“In the past 10 years I’ve seen a big increase in the number of men asking for cosmetic surgery, with figures rising from 10 per cent of my patients to nearer 30 per cent.
“People now want to look a certain way, and it is also more acceptable in society for men to have cosmetic surgery.”
Surgeons said male professionals aged between 31 and 40 were the most likely to seek plastic surgery.
Dr Al Fardan said an increase in bariatric surgery, driven by rising obesity rates, was also helping to fuel the cosmetic surgery industry, as more people sought corrective procedures after rapid weight loss.
The Bariatric and Metabolic Institute Abu Dhabi at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City reports operations on morbidly obese patients (weighing 100 pounds over their ideal body weight) has increased by more than 5,000 cases a year.
“We know for a fact that 90 per cent of morbidly obese patients who have had bariatric surgery will need some kind of cosmetic surgery for skin tightening,” said Dr Al Fardan.
“The demand for this is always getting higher because these patients will not be able to live with this excess skin.”
Doctors at the conference said some patients were hard to please, with those seeking repeated surgery potentially suffering from body dysmorphia. It is a recognised mental health disorder characterised by an obsessive perception that an aspect of one’s body is severely flawed and requires corrective surgery.
“Plastic surgery addiction is something we are seeing a lot of in Dubai,” said Reem Shaheen, a counselling psychologist at the Clear Minds Centre.
“Women are over-sexualised, and in the Arab world they are valued for their looks more than elsewhere, so there is more demand for them to look a certain way to keep their husbands.
“People always want more and they are never satisfied. It is expensive, but extremely accessible. This can lead to an unhealthy addiction.”
People now want to look a certain way, and it is also more acceptable in society for men to have cosmetic surgery DR ZUHAIR AL FARDAN Body contouring specialist