Over the last few years, a perfect-looking face and body have become important for many people, regardless of gender. Just a few years ago, plastic surgery was limited almost exclusively to women, aside from those performed for medical purposes.

Most men viewed plastic surgery as a feminine phenomenon due to the conservative nature of our community. But social media and celebrity culture have played a pivotal role in the rising number of men undergoing plastic surgery, according to Dr Ahmed Hegazy, Plastic Surgery Specialist and Assistant Professor of Plastic Surgery at Boushahri Clinic. “Nowadays, even men want to look perfect,” he told Kuwait Times. “About three years back, men accounted for around 10 percent of the patients undergoing plastic surgery or cosmetic procedures. Today, they make up around 30 percent of the patients. Compared to Europe or the United States, the number is still low,” he added.

Repeated surgeries Nasser Al-Traiji, 34, has had 19 medical surgeries and cosmetic procedures. “My kidney has been operated on five times,” he said. “In terms of plastic surgery, I have had my nose done twice and hair implanted four times. In fact, I had to undergo rhinoplasty as my nose was broken three times when I was a child. Then I had an accident and couldn’t breathe properly.”

His first nose job, however, did not go according to plan. “The first time, unfortunately, I had it done here in Kuwait and the Arab doctor did a very bad job that made my breathing even worse. So I went to Iran and had it done there,” Traiji told Kuwait Times. The nature of his job led him to get hair implants. “I was employed at an oil company and was frequently exposed to radiation from various machines, which affected my hair and it started falling out. It’s not genetic in my family - my father is over 70 and he still has thick hair, as do my mother and grandfather,” he explained.

Nasser’s social life makes him appear in the media, a fact that is behind his desire to look good. “I think everyone likes to look perfect. If I need more plastic surgery in the future, I will have it done on my face as I get older. On the other hand, I don’t agree with weight loss surgery and advise people to lose weight normally through exercise instead,” he said. “I also dislike men undergoing surgeries just to imitate some celebrities and not to improve their health or correct deformations.” After his unsuccessful attempts at nose and hair surgery, Traiji became extremely careful when looking for a doctor. “I also take patients’ experiences and recommendations as a priority,” he said.

The most popular surgeries for men are hair implants, rhinoplasties and post-weight loss plastic surgeries. “As well as regular plastic surgeries, more men are now demanding high-definition liposuction (HD lipo) for body sculpting,” explained Dr Hegazy. “This is mostly demanded by bodybuilders who consume steroids that cause gynecomastia, the swelling of the breast tissue due to an imbalance of the hormones estrogen and testosterone. It looks bad. Also, steroids lead to fat in areas such as the waist or abdomen, which disappears through exercise.”

Skin tightening

Demand for skin-tightening surgery is also on the rise. “After having weight loss surgeries, the patient’s sudden weight loss can cause the skin to sag. In most cases, it doesn’t improve through exercise, so many patients demand skin-tightening plastic surgery. Some even demand buttocks surgery; but they then can’t sit without pain because they have lost their natural fat pillow in this area,” Dr Hegazy explained.

Wahab, 27, also believes looks are important. He first got his nose done, along with liposuction, when he was 21. “I had my nose done with full anesthesia. At the same time, I also underwent liposuction on my stomach at Royale Hayat Hospital by Dr Reza Nabavian, a visiting doctor who has a clinic in the United States,” he noted. He suffered from a symptom that was causing him issues with breathing, a problem the surgery ultimately resolved. “I thought that since I’m doing this, why not remodel my nose that was a little crooked. It was a simple surgery and the doctor didn’t break the bone, so I didn’t suffer from bruises,” Wahab told Kuwait Times.

He described the surgeries as “very simple”, given they were performed in a single anesthetic session and did not cause any pain. “I was working a lot at the gym, but my stomach was stubbornly flabby. The doctor told me he could suck the fat through the bellybutton without any scars, which I thought sounded perfect. Then I was on a strict diet and quit smoking,” he added. “I don’t need any surgeries right now, but I feel that I may have to regrow some hair soon. I think more men are having plastic surgeries these days. Especially with social media and TV, men are socializing even more than women, so it’s competitive in the same way as among women,” Wahab noted.

By Nawara Fattahova