ISLAMABAD: At 28, Rida Asad has undergone three cosmetic surgeries.

She fixed her jawline which she felt was not prominent enough, lifted her cheeks and added fillers under her eyes.

“The procedures are painless and it doesn’t take a long time for the results to show. The results are quick and amazing,” she told Dawn.

Rida said she believed such procedures were an increasingly popular way for people to address concerns about their appearance, and word of mouth has played an important role in this regard.

“When people see the results on their loved ones themselves, they feel more comfortable opting for this,” she explained.

For some, like 35-year-old Hassan Ali, cosmetic procedures have led to greater confidence, peace of mind, an improved performance at work and smoother interpersonal relationships.

Hassan began losing his hair at an early age. He told Dawn: “My friends made fun of me by calling me ‘uncle’, and it was a difficult time for me. I started to avoid seeing them and going to family gatherings.”

Despite hearing myths and his own fears regarding the surgery, Hassan decided to undergo a hair transplant. He turned to the internet and social media for information on the surgery, the risks and for details of reliable surgeons.

“It was a very painful procedure and my family opposed it, but I decided to go for it because of my mental state,” he said. Hair growth was slow for some time after the procedure, he said, but a year on he is satisfied with his appearance.

“Now I have a full head of hair that grows like normal. I am happy and satisfied. I look younger and more confident,” he said.

Dr Shehar Bano, a dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon who runs a private clinic in F-6, told Dawn that the desire to look good, as well as the availability and quick results of non-invasive treatments has led to a dramatic increase in the demand for such procedures.

She performs mostly non-surgical cosmetic procedures, such as botox, fillers, face contouring and laser hair removal.

Dr Bano suggested both the media and social media have played a significant role in the popularity of cosmetic procedures.

“Most young women I receive at my clinic want to look glamorous; some want poutier lips and some want eye lifts. Some patients also ask for skin lightening therapies,” she said.

Women over the age of 40, she said, ask for anti-ageing procedures that address wrinkles or for facelifts. Dr Bano said advanced and United States Food and Drug Administration-approved machines have made these treatments safer, and patients should inquire about and opt for certified doctors.

Dr Bano said she also receives transgender patients who seek face broadening, hair removal and breast enlargement procedures, among others.

Public hospitals also perform a limited number of cosmetic surgeries, Dr Ghulam Shabbir, a plastic surgeon at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) told Dawn, but they mostly carry out plastic surgery for patients on medical grounds.

However, Dr Shabbir added, the hospital does perform some cosmetic surgeries - such as rhinoplasty (nose reshaping) for ‘deserving’ patients.

“Young women come for nose reshaping because they are facing marital problems. We accommodate them on the recommendation of a doctors’ committee,” he said.

Dr Shabbir said demand for cosmetic surgery was increasing not just among the wealthy but also among the middle and lower middle classes.

He said he also sees a number of transgender patients, as well as men seeking liposuction.

The head of dermatology at Maroof International Hospital, Dr Rubab Hasan, said the need for cosmetic treatments and surgeries had increased dramatically in the last decade.

Dr Hasan, too, believed that awareness through social media was a reason for this. She added that compared to surgeries, non-invasive aesthetic treatments are much more popular because they are cheaper, with faster recovery periods and fewer risks.

The doctors said aesthetics today are like a ‘beauty race’; patients want to look and feel good in a more glamorised world, and no one wants to be left behind.

The head psychiatrist at Capital Hospital, Dr Anwarul Haq, spoke of something called ‘adolescent crises of identity’.

“At this age, young girls and boys are unsatisfied with their looks. Before the availability of these treatments, they would experiment with their hair, moustaches and beards,” he said.

But Pims head of psychiatry Dr Rizwan Taj, said there are multiple factors involved, from a need for change to a sense of dissatisfaction regarding personality, frustration or simply a case of people being impressed by someone else who has undergone the same procedure.

“I would say that in general, feeling good leads people to these cosmetic procedures, and social media and awareness have played an important part in this regard.

“The easy availability of these clinics has played a major role in persuading average people to undergo cosmetic procedures,” he said.

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Azeem Rao from the Ali Medical Centre added that today’s world is glamorised, and women are financially independent and willing to spend on personal grooming.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2018