In the quest for spotless beauty and charm, young people from all over the world are willing to go under the knife. Cosmetic surgery is no longer exclusive to Bollywood actors or models, but has become a part of the lives of common people, with everyone seeking to look prettier and more attractive. In this era of technology, everyone wants to have that perfect picture on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Selfies are popular and looking good is a competition.
Regarding cosmetic surgeries and procedures, Guardian 20 spoke to several doctors from Delhi and Mumbai.
According to Dr. DJS Tulla, H.O.D, Cosmetics, Primus Super Speciality Hospital, “with the changed scenario, in which looking good is a need, everyone wants to look gorgeous. This is where the role of cosmetic surgery comes in, by helping people realize their desires. Short procedures such as botox and fillers are on the rise. Everyone wants to flaunt that perfect look. They want the perfect pout. They also want to have perfect bodies. Some patients, despite regular exercise and diet, have stubborn fat over their tummy or hips which does not go, so they opt to undergo liposuction.”
Dr. Navin Taneja, Director of National Skin Centre, South Extension says “Non invasive, aesthetic procedures are in huge demand nowadays. Most people opt for these procedures because they do not wish to go under the knife. All age groups, ranging from people in their early 20s to those in their late 70s are coming in for non-invasive and semi-invasive procedures because of the low down time.”
He also says, “It has become a part of lifestyle because most of us want a wrinkle free, natural look.”
Dr Meghna Gupta, Cosmetic Dermatologist and Director at Delhi skin centre says “It has become one of the most popular style statements these days. Not only bollywood stars, we are now getting patients from all professions, everybody wants to look perfect and thanks to internet they can easily get to know about cosmetic surgery procedures. Botox and fillers are US FDA approved procedures, and a good quality product along with a trained expert is all that it takes to carry out these treatments.”
“The surgeries are safe. People are immediately well enough to go back home and can go back to work in a short period of time. It helps them feel better and boosts their confidence.”
— Dr. Manoj Khanna
Dr Manoj Khanna- Internationally acclaimed Hair transplant & Aesthetic Cosmetic Surgeon, Enhance Clinics says “Major reasons for adopting these surgeries are because of TV advertisements, more and more celebrities opting for cosmetic surgeries to enhance their looks and because they do not have any side effects. I could also say, that selfies and mobile cameras are also one of the major reasons behind it.”
Not only women, we also have men going for surgeries. In this regard, the Dr DJS Tulla says “Men have entered into the world of cosmetic surgeries. Most common surgical procedures which men opt for are hair transplant, nose reshaping, male breast reduction and liposuction of waist and love-handles. Non- invasive common procedures for men include laser hair removal and skin lightening treatments.”
According to Dr Taneja, “Males now are also concerned about their looks and their overall appearance. There is huge growth in the male aesthetic procedures since 1997.Sometimes we have the bride and groom coming together to ensure that they look their best on the D Day. Men are generally concerned about their Androgenetic alopecia, unwanted hair on their body, wrinkles, acne scarring, accidental marks, laser treatments for rejuvenation, hyperhydrosis, non surgical nose job, chemical peels.”
Dr Meghna Gupta says, “We offer almost the same cosmetic options for men as those which we offer to women. Cosmetic surgery is not only for specific age number or gender. Cosmetic industry is growing in dramatic manner and we are covering almost every section of lifestyle.”
Dr Khanna talks positively about it. According to him, “I have done hair transplant for celebrities like Harsha Bhogle and Salman Khan. You can see the difference, they look 15 years younger. Moreover, it has helped boost their confidence and personality.”
Asked about the many new variants of cosmetic surgeries like liposuction, lip augmentation that are happening now, Dr Taneja says, “Rather than conventional liposuction, people are opting for less invasive, laser lipo- sculpting, vaser, ultrasonic body scultpuing and mesotherapy. Lip augmentation is also much in demand now. Most of the HA fillers are having anaesthesia in it, so it is not a very painful procedure. People are demanding more natural, hydrated, glossy lips rather than the lip pout.”
Dr Gupta says, “We are witnessing the selfie-based lifestyle, we need perfect pout, perfect eyebrow shape and lot of other highlights. Being an expert, I would say that the do’s & dont’s should be followed after undergoing these procedures.”
“The surgeries are safe. People are immediately well enough to go back home and can go back to work in a short period of time. It helps them feel better and boosts their confidence.” Says Dr. Khanna
Asked about the necessity of these surgeries, despite the riskof them being harmful and sometimes even lethal, Dr DJS Tulla says “Most patients who opt for cosmetic surgeries have tried all ways to achieve their desired looks but to no avail. They are very frustrated and have a negative body image, so are willing to take the risk. If these surgeries are performed by untrained or unqualified people, they can be really harmful.”
Dr. Taneja says, “Instead of calling it a necessity, it could be said to be a result of Media, TV and social networking sites catching the fancy of the youngsters. Also improving your appearance with facial rejuvenation and other cosmetic treatments helps to improve your appearance, self-confidence. We are doing these procedures for the past 12 years now. Results last only up to 6 months. Repeat rate of patient taking the procedure again is almost 100%.”
Dr Gupta says, “Excess of everything can become a topic of tension but you have to take and consult only certified expert/clinic and don’t take sub-standard medicine.”
Surgeries like liposuction, lip augmentation and many other have become more of a business thing. In this regard, Dr. Meghna Gupta says, “As even experts are getting huge number of queries from the age group 20+ till 50+, it would definitely help them to grow their business. But we shouldn’t forget that we are here to do our work, unnecessary things/treatment can create problem in this industry.”
Dr DJS Tulla says, “With the mushrooming of so many clinics and no regulations being enforced, this is bound to happen, as untrained or unqualified practitioners mislead people by promising them results which cannot be achieved. This is all the more reason for patients to check the credentials of the surgeons before subjecting themselves to such procedures.”
According to Dr. Khanna “Because of an increase in the number of TV ads and internet availability, people sometimes visit wrong specialists, who hold no degree in the cosmetic industry and get surgery done from them. This results in harmful effects. The major reason behind it is also because we do not have a regulatory body for the same.”
In the regard to Cosmetic surgeries, Dr Swati Srivastava is a Dermato — Cosmetologist known for sketching beautiful faces and has her own brand of skin care cosmetic clinic – ‘Sketch’ in Mumbai. She shares, “Cosmetology as a field of medicine has grown leaps and bounds in the last 5 years. Surgical as well as non surgical procedures like botox and lasers are in great demand. People are becoming more aware of these procedures. A big part of confidence gets boosted when you know you are looking your best. Procedures like lip fillers and liposuction are perfectly safe in skilled hands. And we can turn the clock back. At 50, you can look like 35. It’s possible.”