How weight loss drugs are changing the face of cosmetic surgery

Doctors say industry is experiencing shift away from procedures such as liposuction

The health industry has experienced rapid change owing to the rise of weight loss drugs. Reuters

Facelifts have soared in popularity as people seek procedures to address the effects of weight loss drugs, say surgeons.

The rise of such drugs has brought about a drop in demand for liposuction, while demand for facial cosmetic surgery has risen.

Another factor in the Gulf region is celebrity endorsements of new techniques, particularly deep plane lifts, which are especially popular in Dubai’s booming cosmetic surgery market. The deep plane technique involves a deeper incision than in a traditional facelift, which surgeons say means the effect lasts longer.

Dr Adel Quttainah, who has Quttainah Specialised Hospital branches in Kuwait, Doha and Dubai, said the industry was experiencing rapid change due to the rise of weight loss drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro.

“With the advent of all these weight loss drugs, liposuction has fallen off the grid – so now it is all about facial work,” said Dr Quttainah. “What we’ve lost in liposuction, we’ve gained in skin redundancy, tummy tucks, skin excision procedures – and facelifts.”

Plastic surgeon Dr Adel Quttainah. Antonie Robertson / The National

He said attitudes towards cosmetic surgery were changing. “People have recently been coming back to facelifts as the way we do them now gives more predictable, natural results," he added.

“They used to worry they would have this 'wind tunnel', blown appearance, the scars would be too obvious, and that patients ended up looking like freaks. We've turned that corner now with deep plane lifts, and we're getting really nice results, with patients looking 10 to 15 years younger.”

Celebrity backing

Kris Jenner, 69, and fashion designer Marc Jacobs, 62, are reported to have had deep plane surgery, with impressive results.

Kris Jenner, right, with her daughter Kim Kardashian, has had cosmetic surgery. AFP

Other celebrities have admitted to surgical procedures, and flaunted the results on social media, including model Bella Hadid and actress Amy Schumer.

“Generally, people are becoming more open about this whole thing around cosmetic surgery,” said Dr Quttainah. “They see celebrities talk about it freely so it's not taboo any more.”

Research by the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences at UAE University in Al Ain sought the views of under-35s about cosmetic surgery. Of the 178 students asked in 2021, 63 per cent believed cosmetic procedures were acceptable or slowly becoming acceptable in UAE society.

Market research by Grand View estimated the UAE aesthetic surgery market to be worth $351.1 million in 2023 and it is expected to rise to $675.9 million by 2030.

Procedures involving the face and head were the most lucrative segment and registered the fastest growth. However, the rise in demand for facelifts among younger people has prompted a warning from surgeons.

Dr Sanjay Parashar, chairman of the Scientific Emirates Plastic Surgery Society, said deep plane facelifts were a growing trend.

“People were fed up using fillers and thread lifts, and there were complications with overfilled faces and they started looking abnormal,” said Dr Parashar, who practises at the Cocoona Clinic in Al Wasl.

Dr Sanjay Parashar says young people are asking for unnecessary surgery. Chris Whiteoak / The National

“They were looking for an alternative to look younger, and at the same time, facelift techniques improved. Clinics started doing a short procedure for a temporal lift called a ponytail lift, then people were asking for just a mini facelift, short scarf, or a mini neck lift, which gained more popularity. Now we see an increasing trend of younger people coming to us, asking for these mini lifts.”

Day surgery

A normal face and neck lift for someone aged 60 or above, who requires a hospital stay and anaesthesia would usually cost from Dh75,000 to Dh100,000 ($20,400 to $27,220). But daycare procedures are done under local sedation, so modern facelifts typically start from Dh30,000 to Dh40,000.

“Pretty much every week, I do one or two facelifts, which used to be very uncommon, maybe just one every three months,” said Dr Parashar. “There is a word of caution. I see a lot of very young people, aged 20 to 25, asking for lifts, which is not right and something that we have to control.

“A lot of time is spent educating them, as younger patients tend to have more scars than older people. At least 70 per cent of people who approach us for these kind of surgeries are rejected, as they are not appropriate candidates. Because of the demand, there is a risk in this demographic looking to cut corners and do these procedures cheaply.”

He gave the example of a 32-year-old woman who arrived at his clinic after having an "extensive" brow lift, facelift and neck lift. “She ended up burning her skin in the neck and losing a lot of skin with a very bad scar," he added. “As with any surgery, there are potential risks.”