THE UAE is becoming a haven for people seeking the body beautiful and plastic surgeons are keen to get a slice of the action.
So much so that the Emirates now has the highest ratio of plastic surgeons to citizens on earth.
Figures released by the Emirates Plastic Surgery Society reveal that the UAE has 56 plastic surgeons per one million of the population.
That is double the ratio of scalpel specialists in some nations famous for their nips and tucks, such as Brazil - which has 23 plastic surgeons per one million of the population - and the US, with 20 body sculptors for every million people.
Worryingly, though, it's not just older people seeking a younger look, the figures show 15 per cent of patients going under the knife in the UAE are under the age of 23.
Dr Luiz Toledo, a plastic surgeon who moved his practice to Dubai from Brazil in 2005 and is on the scientific committee of the Emirates Plastic Surgery Society, said: "There is a huge demand for plastic surgery in the UAE.
"It's why I moved my practice here, and so have many others.
"Now you see a clinic on Jumeirah Beach Road almost every two blocks."
Toledo has even dubbed Dubai the "new Beirut" for the bold and beautiful because of the plethora of plastic surgeons.
The most requested procedure by men in the UAE is breast reduction, while for women it is liposuction and rhinoplasty.
Revealing the lengths some people will go to, Toledo added: "I once had a man who came to me saying the bump on his nose hurt when he greeted other men in the traditional Arab manner - rubbing noses."
Plastic surgeon Toledo added: "So he asked if I could inject fat into his nose and make it a bit bigger - so the bump would not hurt."
However, whether it is nose jobs, breast work, fat removal or chin reconstruction, one consultant says surgery seekers in the Emirates are getting younger.
Vasilica Baltateanu, the UAE's first plastic surgery consultant, said about one in every seven patients she deals with - 15 per cent - is under 23.
The founder of Dubai plastic surgery consultancy Vasilica Aesthetics said: "On average, I'd say I see between 15 to 20 people below the age of 23 - even teenagers and university students - every month."
Jokingly calling herself a 'knife-coach', Baltateanu cited "peer pressure" as the most common reason.
"I've had a 16-year-old girl come to me with a magazine showing me a picture of a model and saying she wanted 'that' nose," she said.
"I tried to explain to her that you need to have 'that' face to have 'that' nose and you cannot have a nose that does not fit your face."
The consultant said the she has clients who come hoping to get the look of their favourite celebrity. The most requested celeb-inspired surgeries among young people in the UAE are Angelina Jolie's cheeks and nose, and reality TV star Kim Kardashian's nose.
Meanwhile, 22-year-old patient Angela told 7DAYS she wants to have a rhinoplasty - but Baltateanu has advised her against it. Angela denied feeling pressured and said her parents are dead against the procedure - but revealed that several of her friends in university have had it.
She said: "But some of them are now having breathing problems and it doesn't look good."
© 7Days 2014
