37% of Arab girls consider plastic surgery

A survey conducted by Dove has shown that 37% of Arab girls ages 15 to 17 would consider going under the knife in the near future. The figures have projected a generational shift in the way women in the region look at beauty.

The Dove study was done in collaboration with research consulting firm StrategyOne. It was conducted among 3,300 girls and women aged 15 to 64 in ten countries including Saudi Arabia.

Dr. Buthainah Al-Shunnar, plastic surgeon, stressed that teenage girls coming in for plastic surgery don’t see the procedures as dangerous, as women over 30 view it. Young girls just cosmetic surgery as a procedure that would help them get their desired look without thinking so much about the risks and complications.

Experts have also noticed the popularity of cosmetic surgery in Dubai, as the number of plastic surgery clinics along the city’ shopping strips has been increasing tremendously.

Cosmetic surgery procedures are also in demand in other countries in the region, including Iran. In fact, Iran is considered one of the world’s leading centers for cosmetic surgery since the 1979 Revolution.

To date, there are three thousand plastic surgeons operating in Tehran alone. In some Arab countries, it is becoming a status symbol for people to wear the nose bandage after a surgical operation. People are actually proud that they are sporting nose bandages while going about their daily tasks. That’s the trend in the Arab regions.

Dr. Shunnar added that women are undertaking cosmetic surgery in order to look like the celebrities they so admire. Nancy Arjam is the most common request.

The study also revealed that 63% of Arab women feel threatened by the ideals of beauty portrayed by the media. Meanwhile, nine out of ten Arab females admit that they are not happy with their physical appearance.