Twenty years ago, people thought only movie stars and the ultra-rich had plastic surgery. Nowadays though, while younger Saudi males compete with Saudi women in going to cosmetic clinics and enhancing their looks, older Saudi men between the ages of 40 and 65 are opting for more drastic measures to maintain their youthful looks. The print media and the Internet have been instrumental in increasing awareness about health and beauty care options, and while most of the information is targeted mainly at women, Saudi men too have become more aware about cosmetic surgery. It is estimated that there has been a 10-percent rise in male cosmetic surgeries this year in the Kingdom. “Women have started caring about their appearance a great deal and so are young Saudi men between the ages of 20 and 30. It is only natural that older Saudi men would follow the trend. I have men coming to my clinic from far off places like Jazan and Al-Qaseem to look younger, especially before a second marriage,” said Dr. Fayez Abdul Baki, a cosmetic surgery specialist at Obagi medical center. The top four most-performed cosmetic surgical procedures are liposuction, breast reduction, facial and nasal surgeries; while the most popular non-surgical cosmetic procedures are laser and botox surgeries. “Liposuction and breast reduction are the most common cosmetic surgeries demanded by men between the ages of 20 and 30, unlike older men who prefer non-surgical treatments like botox and laser, fearing the after effects of surgery at this age,” Dr. Fayez added. Dr. Mamdooh Eshi , cosmetic consultant at Dr.Eid clinic agreed with Dr. Fayez that a lot of Saudi men are opting for liposuction and breast reduction, to cope with obesity and hormonal disorders. Dr. Eshi says dealing with male patients undergoing cosmetic surgeries is very different from dealing with female patients. “Saudi women are more conscious about cosmetic treatments and are more aware of the procedures, since they look up information on websites, watch TV programs and ask their friends who may have undergone cosmetic surgeries. Saudi men are not so aware about cosmetic surgery procedures and they trust a doctor blindly, they don't ask too many questions,” Dr. Fayez said. According to Dr. Haitham Jamjoom, consultant cosmetic advisor at King Faisal hospital, “Women have a higher pain threshold since they are used to experiencing pain during their periods and pregnancy. I feel this makes it easier for them to seek cosmetic surgeries rather than Saudi men, whose fear of pain and the after-effects of surgery make them very difficult to cope with.” A study published in the journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgery (ASPS) has reported that among Americans, men and women are nearly equal in their approval of cosmetic surgery, with women showing a slightly lower approval rating (56 percent) than men (57 percent). One worrying aspect of the rise in cosmetic surgeries in the Kingdom, is that the idea of going to a psychiatrist before and after undergoing cosmetic surgery has not gained acceptance. “It is very important for a patient to consult a psychiatrist before undergoing cosmetic surgery, but some Saudi patients who lack awareness equate going to a psychiatrist with mental disorders,” said Dr. Jamjoom. “The most difficult cosmetic surgeries are nasal and facial surgeries which make a patient's face look different. Sometimes, the post-operative swelling on the face or the nose may take upto two weeks to subside, which may make a patient feel unsatisfied or frustrated. In this case, the cosmetic surgeon works with a psychiatrist to help the patient adjust to his new features,” Dr. Fayez said. Currently, the approximate costs of liposuction are between SR 5000 and SR15,000, breast reduction surgery SR10,000, facial surgery SR 15000 and nasal surgery SR 8,500. However, some cosmetic surgeons don't seem to care about the well-being of patients in order to make a fast buck. “Unfortunately, some cosmetic surgeons don't pay attention to the psychological and humanitarian aspects of cosmetic surgery. A professional cosmetic surgeon should insist on a psychiatrist's evaluation and consultation before performing surgery,” said Dr. Mohammad Al-Hamid, consultant psychiatrist at the Dr. Mohammad Center for Psychology and Behavioral Treatment in Jeddah. Al-Hamid disclosed that he has treated around five patients with nasal surgeries who have not been able to adjust to their altered appearance. They are afflicted by a conflict within themselves called (me and not me), which the psychiatrist must address before they develop into serious mental disorders like Dysmorphophobia, where the person has an excessive dislike of his appearance. According to Dr. Al-Hamid, one of the reasons for the increasing demand in cosmetic surgeries by Saudi men is social competition. “Both men and women have to change their concepts about beauty, because intellectual and mental capability is just as important as one's outer appearance,” Dr. Al-Hamid said. Mazinah Al-Tarabulsi, a mother of five children, said that the reason why more and more Saudi men are going for cosmetic surgeries is partly a desire to improve their appearance and partly in imitation of others. “I agree with cosmetic surgeries for the sake of treating deformities or defects in the body, but not to change God's creation,” she added. __
