Get cheeky with it! No, we aren’t talking about a hip-hop number but going under the knife to boost your confidence. And it’s not a tummy tuck that’s in vogue, but a dimple and cleft that is catching the fancy of look-obsessed youngsters. When Rakhi Sawant said in an interview, “What God doesn’t give, the doctor gives,” she wasn’t mincing words.
Experts in the capital reveal a growing need among youth to look good. With the spending power on the rise, plastic and cosmetic surgeons are being flooded with enquiries about creating a fake dimple, sexy pout, cleft and even a mole.
According to a global survey by the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), India is ranked fourth with 894,700 surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures last year, accounting for 5.2 per cent of all procedures recorded globally.
Says Dr Lalit Chaudhary, senior plastic surgeon with Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, “A patient had been getting a fake mole tattooed on her lips for a long time. She recently suggested we implant a mole on her upper lip. All we need to do for that is transfer a mole from any other part of her body and graft it on her lip. Even a pout is very popular among women.”
Dr Chaudhary adds that apple cheeks or high cheekbones as they are called have many takers too. “Hollywood celebs are the new inspiration. A female model recently underwent surgery for apple cheeks along with smile correction. She wasn’t happy with her smile,” he says.
This isn’t a recent trend, according to lifestyle management expert Rachna K. Singh from Artemis Health Institute. “Body and self image has become very important in the last few years. Many people go for such procedures because that is what gives them confidence. And the spending power is high, but only a few can afford it, for the rest, they save up to materialise their desire,” she adds.
A rise in the number of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome among girls is making their hair growth prominent. Dr Arihant Surana, medical head, Asian Roots Medispa informs that mothers bring their 14-year-old daughters for laser hair removal procedures. “They do not want their girls to go in for frequent waxing as coarse hair can result in ingrowth and lead to scars. Laser reduces the amount of hair by 80 per cent. Men are losing hair at 21-22 and hair transplant is also a popular procedure,” he adds.
Dr Rashmi Taneja, consultant, plastic and reconstructive surgery, Artemis Health Institute says parents today are supportive of what their children want. “An 18-year-old came for the removal of male breasts before leaving for studies in the UK. His parents were supportive. He wanted to blend in among new people.”
Dr Taneja adds, “There are cases of teens who want to go in for rhinoplasty before they join college, because they want to fit in. Summer break is the peak time.”