JEDDAH — Beauty centers offering services from hairstyling and fashion design to massage and various bodycare products and therapy continue to mushroom in Jeddah. Cosmetic surgery too has become a growth industry here, with a growing number of clinics providing such procedures as hair transplants, liposuction and facelifts. The concern with appearance and preserving youth for some Saudis has become an obsession for some Saudis.
Dr. Muhammad Amin, the head physician at Beauty Alliance, said that there are numerous factors why the cosmetics industry is on an upswing. “There is a much better understanding of cosmetic surgery today, and this is thanks to the information age and technologies like satellite television.”
Dr. Amin also said that there was a general rise in the income of middle-income households in the Kingdom, “which is mostly because of the added income of the female work force.”
“There are also improvements in cosmetic technology which allows for less healing time,” he added. “Also there is a better understanding of cosmetic surgery today: Women are more worldly and savvy. And finally potential patients have options because of the competition that exist today, which has resulted in competitive prices.”
Beauty Alliance is the latest cosmetic surgery center in Jeddah, focusing on cosmetic surgery, non-surgical beauty treatments, dermatology, obesity, dentistry and other health services. “We are unique in gathering all these services with doctors providing an integrated medical service related to beauty and plastic surgery,” said Dr. Hisham Baumi, marketing manager of Beauty Alliance. “We will not be competing with beauty centers because we are a medical center, they care only for the surface and offer treatment with no scientific and medical basis,” he said.
According to Dr. Amin, “the idea for the Center came after a detailed study that showed the cosmetics industry in the region, particularly in Saudi Arabia, is one of the strongest growing markets.”
“Absolutely, I think it’s becoming very common and popular among Saudi women to have cosmetic surgery,” a young Saudi woman agreed. “I know four women who have had some plastic surgery done, and a lot more are planning to, mainly liposuction and nose jobs,” she said. “Everything that has to do with beauty such as laser hair removal and botox are very popular,” she added.
“I think the reason is that it’s available now more than before and it’s not very expensive, all these hospitals and centers are competing to give better service and prices,” she said.
“I think husbands play a role in the wife’s decision to have plastic surgery,” another woman, “also the satellite channels, but it’s sometimes the woman herself who wants a certain look.” Three years ago she had breast implants because, after breastfeeding her third child for two years, there was a noticeable difference in the size of her breasts and that affected her psychologically. “At first my husband and my mother didn’t approve of having the procedure but I was very distressed and self-conscious about the difference in their size,” she said. She chose the plastic surgeon based an advertisement and was not happy with the results.
“This private hospital only cared about the money,” she said, so she consulted a family doctor who recommended a reputable surgeon at another hospital and had a second procedure to fix the problem and she’s very happy with the result. “After seeing the result, my friends were encouraged to have plastic surgery, especially liposuction, but I don’t recommend any kind of cosmetic surgery unless it’s necessary,” she said. Beauty Alliance has a new approach to treating patients and that is through a consortium of specialists meeting with the patients and advising them on the best procedure after assessing them physically and psychologically - an important factor in plastic surgery.
“We are aiming to expand in other cities in Saudi Arabia and other gulf countries,” said Dr. Baumi. “We began in Jeddah because the medical market here leads in hospital care, especially in the private sector, and Jeddah is a city that attracts people from within and outside the country.” Although the center offers its services to all age groups and to women and men, he expects their main customers to be middle-aged women.
- Arab News Features 3 July 2003
