In recent times, UAE has emerged as a medical tourism hub that attracts people from the east and the west. Not only does the UAE offer top-notch medical services and standards of care, but is also a cost-effective option; which is why people from developed and developing nations alike choose to opt for medical treatment in the UAE. One of the most popular treatment options happens to be cosmetic surgery or plastic surgery as we commonly call these procedures.
Laparoscopic surgeon Dr. J S Rajkumar who works with Medstar Healthcare LLC, has performed over 25,000 laparoscopic procedures. According to him, almost no one is happy with the way they look. It is because of the supposed ‘ideal’ of beauty created by the fashion and cosmetic industry that so many people feel pressure to conform to such ideals.
Dubai has the most number of plastic surgery clinics in the world; more in number even than Hollywood, the glamour capital of the world. There has been an uptick in the demand for cosmetic procedures also because of social media trends and expectations. Patients also tend to have unrealistic expectations from surgeries; wanting to look like Bollywood celebs such as Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif.
Men opt for a range of plastic surgery options including liposuction from the chest and abdomen, jaw, calf and bicep implants, nose jobs, hair transplants and even facelifts. While liposuction is the most popular surgical intervention, Botox and facial fillers are the most common nonsurgical treatments that men opt for.
According to experts, Dubai happens to have one of the highest ratios of plastic surgeons per capita. There are 47 practitioners of cosmetic surgeons per million people, while that ratio is 24 to one million in the US. Skin treatments such as vampire facials, advanced peels, pigmentation laser technology to remove dark pigment, treatments to stimulate collagen production while stripping the outer layer of skin are very popular.
It isn’t just patients from within the UAE; people from abroad also choose to come here for cosmetic procedures. Overseas inquiries rise each year according to experts. Liposuction is the most popular procedure, followed by rhinoplasty (nose jobs) and then gynecomastia, or male breast reduction. Breast implants are the fourth most popular while tummy tucks to remove excess tissue from the abdomen are number five on the list. Fat transfer, laser vaginal rejuvenation, eyelid surgery, breast lift and butt implants are the other treatments on the list of ten most popular cosmetic procedures.
According to recent reports from the Dubai Health Authority, there are 236 licensed plastic surgeons, 386 licensed dermatologists and 277 facilities that offer cosmetic and dermatology services in Dubai. The sheer numbers of cosmetic surgeons available in the UAE have driven up the competition and driven down prices leading to concerns about such cost-cutting. Hence it is important to choose reputed clinics with proven track records and to refrain from choosing the cheapest service provider just to save money.
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