An alarming number of Iranian women undergo cosmetic surgery including nose jobs, Botox injections and breast implants, according to Hamed Bateni, vice president of the Iranian Society of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgeons.
Dr. Bateni said: “Besides breast implants and nose jobs, many women also undergo arm lift [brachioplasty], eyelid lift [blepharoplasty], and bottom lift [posterior procedure] which involves implanting silicone pockets in a person’s buttocks.”
Iranian girls and women in some cases spend an exorbitant amount of money and undergo multiple procedures to look like their favorite Hollywood stars. In December 2017, European newspapers reported widely on Sahar Tabar, a 22-year-old Iranian girl who they said had undergone 50 operations to look like her idol Angelina Jolie. Ms. Tabar shared photographs of her alleged transformation on her Instagram page. It later emerged that she had undergone no cosmetic surgery, and had used makeup, prosthetics and some digital alterations to create those images.
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Ms. Tabar’s case notwithstanding, an alarming rise in cosmetic surgery in Iran is worrying health officials.
Speaking at Tehran’s 2019 Plastic Surgery Congress on February 20, Dr. Bateni said: “We have seen a significant increase in the number of men who have had facelift operations [rhytidectomy]. However, women are still the largest group of people who undergo plastic surgery in Iran. Most procedures involve nose jobs, Botox injections, and breast implants.”
Social media is full of ads for plastic surgery clinics in Iran.
An Instagram post at (dr-lajevardi.com) reads: “The latest guideline sets the minimum age for cosmetic nose surgery at 13 and 15 for girls and boys, respectively. Younger children should only undergo nose surgery to correct a breathing problem as seen in the photograph. Dr. Seyyed Mohammad Lajevardi; ear, throat specialist, endoscopy and tonsillectomy. Dr. Lajevardi also specializes in facelift, cosmetic nose operation, and silicon implants.”
Dr. Bateni warned: “Even the most common procedures including a nose job and a Botox injection are not suitable for everyone particularly people who have muscular dystrophy, neurological disorder, and circulatory problems.”
Dr. Ali Bijani, president of the Iranian Society of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgeons, also cautioned against unlicensed centers including beauty salons which offer Botox injections to their clients.
“Only qualified doctors should perform plastic surgery,” Dr. Bijani said. “We must do a better job of educating the public about the dangers of unregulated cosmetic surgery and procedures. The government must toughen laws in this area.”
Dr. Bijani added: “Unfortunately, Iran is behind other countries in this respect. We must make a greater effort to regulate the field of cosmetic surgery and shut down unlicensed operators.”
Translated from Persian by Fardine Hamidi
