Cosmetic centers and procedures top the list of advertisements on social media, which now abound with thousands of Syrian accounts of doctors and beauty centers offering their services through their pages, relying on female artists or socially influential personalities to promote them in many cases.
Cosmetic surgery is within everyone’s reach
Cosmetic procedures are no longer restricted to artistic personalities and well-off people, as they were a decade or more ago, which explains the proliferation of beauty centers in neighborhoods and popular areas as well, including those belonging to well-known brands locally and internationally.
Sarah Al-Kanj, owner and director of a beauty center in Damascus, confirms that the visitors of her center come from different economic classes, “and the type of service provided is the same whether for the rich or the poor, but the difference is in the quality of the materials used.”
Al-King explains in her interview with “Sky News Arabia” that “the multiplicity of options has made beauty care within the reach of everyone, each according to his financial capabilities. There are those who prefer European or American materials, which are the most expensive, and some tend to materials of Korean origin as a compromise, while the researchers For the low cost, they choose Chinese materials.
Dr. Talaat Al-Beik, a dermatologist and cosmetologist, agrees with her opinion, saying, “As a doctor who worked in 3 economically different regions, I can say that the demand for some cosmetic procedures, such as Botox and filler needles, in popular areas is greater than in other regions.”
With a lot of laughter, he recounts to “Sky News Arabia” some of his experiences, which confirm the increased demand for cosmetic procedures by all classes by saying, “One time a woman called me asking me to give her an emergency Botox injection, and when I expressed my surprise that the request was an emergency, she explained to me that it Her father needs surgery in the morning and would like to go to the hospital in a new outfit. Another review with her three children kept negotiating with me the price of a cosmetic procedure at a cost of one million Syrian pounds ($200 at the time), asking for a discount, as she is the mother of three orphans who were abandoned by their father without taking care of their expenses.”
Dr. Mahyar Mutwaj, a specialist in dermatology, cosmetology and hair transplantation, explains the class diversity among the visitors of beauty centers by saying, “Everyone wears clothes of different brands, but a few groups can afford certain brands known for their high prices.”
Interest in beauty is a right, and obsession with it is a mental illness
Psychologist Dr. Ghalia Saeed attributes the high demand for beauty centers, despite the economic hardship, to psychological and other apparent reasons.
Saeed explains to “Sky News Arabia” that “the psychological reasons are sometimes related to a lack of self-confidence and a refusal to accept reality or advancing age and its repercussions on our appearance. As for the apparent reasons, they are those related to society and its harsh criticism or bad words that may sometimes be used in the face of some women.” For not caring about themselves, whether as advice or criticism.”
She added, “And let’s not forget the role of artists, actors, and influencers on social media platforms, who spread the impression of the inevitability of cosmetic procedures.”
Saeed believes that “caring for beauty is a right and duty for every person, provided that it does not turn into an obsession that accompanies him on a daily basis. This obsession has generated cosmetic forms that are very similar to each other in an exaggerated way. The concern for beauty should be in the natural limit, but its transformation into a pathological syndrome calls for An intervention to treat him psychologically, support the patient, and help him regain his self-confidence.”
The doctor confirms that “Botox and filler injections are the most requested among the cosmetic procedures, and skin tightening through threads is the least popular.”
Beauty is not limited to women only
Caring for beauty and going to beauty centers is no longer restricted to females, as it was previously known. Rather, men are participating with women in many cosmetic procedures, such as skin care, Botox injections, hair removal, and even surgeries.
Al-Kanj points out that “most male art and media workers prefer to hide forehead and facial wrinkles, and chin contouring by laser is one of the very popular cosmetic procedures among young people, in addition to gastric banding operations, where we see males more in demand.”
And considers d. Saeed said that “males have also become interested in beautification in recent years, as a result of the same motives that exist in females. The male has come to consider that the signs of beauty lie in hiding the gray hair in his hair, and hiding the wrinkles in his forehead and face, and the reason is not only society and social media, but many women pay their husbands to perform cosmetic procedures, especially in the event of an age discrepancy between the spouses.
With regard to the age of the visitors, Al-King confirms that “interest in Botox and lip augmentation is no longer restricted to my age limit. Many girls over the age of 18 go to beauty centers for injection procedures, in addition to changing skin color or taking care of it.”
Syria is the cheapest among neighboring countries
Syria is considered one of the cheapest countries in the Arab world and the region in cosmetic procedures and operations, as confirmed by specialists.
Recently, the number of Arab visitors to Damascus to undergo plastic surgery has increased significantly, especially of the Lebanese and Iraqi nationalities. Al-Kanj attributes the reason for this to the low wages that doctors receive in Syria compared to their colleagues abroad, and low labor wages, in addition to relying on quantity to make profits.
Al-Beik believes that “in the event that the country recovers from the effects of the war and restores security, we will surely witness the influx of more visitors to beauty centers, or what has become known as cosmetic tourism, especially since the Syrian doctor is known for his experience and competence abroad.”
Mutawaj also stresses the possibility of attracting cosmetic tourism delegations to Syria, “provided that the necessary economic and tourism environment is secured, in addition to the state providing the required facilities,” which could constitute a secondary sector for national income in light of the eroding economy as a result of the war and Western sanctions imposed on the country.
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