DUBAI // Procedures that do not involve going under the knife are driving the growth of the UAE’s cosmetic industry as more patients request new technologies that mean “surgery” is less invasive than before.
While the usual choices – breast augmentation, abdominoplasty, facelifts and liposuction – still feature in the top most requested procedures for many clinics, surgeons said an increasing number of patients are seeking a more natural look with a quicker recovery time.
“I have noticed an exponential growth of non-surgical procedures in the past five years,” said Dr Luiz Toledo, who predicted the next trend will be a rise in regenerative plastic surgery, especially involving stem cells obtained from liposuctioned fat.
Dr Matteo Vigo, of Dubai’s American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery Hospital, agreed. “Combining fat grafting, stem cells and DNA analysis can guarantee incredible, long-lasting and natural results, omitting the need for surgery in many cases,” said Dr Vigo.
He believed plastic surgery was moving towards a minimal invasive approach in all its fields.
“The demand from the patient is to have something quick, easy, with fast recovery with minimal downtime,” he said.
Dr Maurizio Viel, of LCAS, said stem cells were the way forward in their ability to rejuvenate and heal. “We are already using mesenchymal stem cells from the fat to rejuvenate the face,” he said. “Also, we now perform surgical procedures with these stems cells.”
More patients were asking about breast augmentation to be done with their own fat and stem cells, said Dr Viel. “We note that more of our patients have a wish for a more natural look,” he said. “We prefer this natural look, too, and when we inject Botox and fillers we try to enhance the patient’s natural features, like an art form.
“Plastic surgery should enhance the assets and features of a person and not change them.”
Dr Sanjay Parashar said one of the most popular procedures at the moment was ultrasonic liposuction, or UAL (a procedure that uses high-pitched sound waves to liquefy fat in a target area, rendering the scalpel useless).
Surgeons are also seeing more diversity when it comes to the type of procedures requested, including buttock enhancements and anti-ageing procedures on hands. Dr Parashar said Dubai was the only place in the GCC to provide hair transplantation using robots to help move hair roots, usually from the back of the scalp, to the area where there is hair loss. This has meant the emirate is becoming the destination of choice for patients wanting a fix for hair loss.
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
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