Plastic surgery in Dubai is booming, with the number of cosmetic procedures more than doubling in two years.
Experts said the rise of video conferencing platforms such as Zoom has had a negative effect on self image, prompting many users to consider plastic surgery.
Dependence on technology has spawned “tech-neck”, a repetitive strain injury that can be caused by long periods of typing or looking down at phones or tablets while adopting a hunched position.
Eyelid surgery, skin tightening operations and liposuction are some of the most popular procedures recorded.
We can contour the jawline and remove a double chin with impressive results, at a cost of around Dh20,000
Dr Matteo Vigo
Recent Dubai Health Authority figures showed the number of people seeking cosmetic procedures has risen sharply since the onset of Covid-19, up from 223,507 in 2020 to 583,909 in 2022.
Men now account for a quarter of all those checking in for plastic surgery.
The way people work — with more home working since the pandemic and the widespread use of smartphones, tablets and laptops — is contributing to more neck wrinkles and double chins that surgeons are now being asked to remove.
Zoom anxiety
“After Covid, people definitely became more conscious about the way they looked, their faces and their bodies,” said Dr Matteo Vigo, a plastic surgeon in Dubai, who is part of teaching faculty of the Canadian Board of Aesthetic Medicine (CBAM).
“Every day they were making Zoom calls or were not wearing make up or dressing properly while home working, so of course — this had an impact on the perception of their appearance.
“Since July 2020, requests (for surgery) have skyrocketed.
“People could not travel so they saved their money and invested in themselves.”
Dubai is set to host world’s largest gathering of plastic surgeons during the three-day Annual World Congress of the International Confederation of Plastic Surgical Societies (ICOPLAST) in May.
The event is expected to attract more than 1,500 medical professionals in the field, from 60 international surgical societies.
At the Amwaj Polyclinic in Jumeirah Beach Residence and the Healthbay Polyclinic, Dubai, where Dr Vigo works, surgeons are experiencing a boom in demand.
A new skin tightening technique using liposuction with a plasma energy machine that tightens the skin once fat is removed is a popular method of shifting a stubborn double chin, he said.
“We can contour the jawline and remove a double chin with impressive results, at a cost of around Dh20,000.
“Mummy makeovers are another growing trend, as women who have had several pregnancies are working out a lot and are fitness conscious to get back in shape, but their skin is often too relaxed.
“It is a combination of stomach and breast surgeries to reshape after delivery. Surgeons perform tummy-tucks, liposuction and breast augmentation.
“In total, costs can reach Dh100,000 and usually require an overnight hospital stay.”
Tackling Tech-neck
The trend is not only confined to Dubai, which is often referred to as the Beverly Hills of the Middle East due to the vast number of cosmetic surgery clinics open for business.
In New York, plastic surgeon Dr Richard Westreich said tech-neck was now as common as carpal tunnel syndrome.
“This repetitive use injury can lead not only to headaches, neck and shoulder pain, and tingling in the hands, but also deep wrinkles,” said Dr Westreich.
“Deep, horizontal lines in the neck and double chins are the cosmetic consequences of keeping the head tilted downward for long periods of time.
“Fortunately, cosmetic surgeons have solutions to some of these problems.”
In-demand cosmetic procedures - in pictures
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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Lexus LX700h specs
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Transmission: 10-speed auto
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
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Brief scores
Toss India, chose to bat
India 281-7 in 50 ov (Pandya 83, Dhoni 79; Coulter-Nile 3-44)
Australia 137-9 in 21 ov (Maxwell 39, Warner 25; Chahal 3-30)
India won by 26 runs on Duckworth-Lewis Method
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
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Details
Through Her Lens: The stories behind the photography of Eva Sereny
Forewords by Jacqueline Bisset and Charlotte Rampling, ACC Art Books
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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