DUBAI // ‘Fairy ears’, cheek dimples and feline eyes just some of the unusual features UAE plastic surgeons were asked to create.
While breast enhancements, Botox and liposuction are among the most common procedures, other residents in the UAE are looking for something a little different in their quest for perfection.
Dr Allen Rezai, a consultant plastic and reconstructive surgeon at Elite Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery Group in Dubai Healthcare City, said he has been asked to carry out a canthoplasty — a surgical procedure used to help create an upwards slant in the outer corner of the eyelid to create the cat eye look.
He has also been asked to perform surgery in which a small piece of the ear is removed and the ear is stitched together. The result is an ear that is pointed, much like that of an elf.
Dimples are becoming an increasingly desirable facial feature and some are willing to have surgery — which involves a small, man-made indentation — to achieve them.
“The most unusual requests we have had were to create cat-shaped eyes, pointed fairy ears and cheek dimples,” said Dr Rezai.
“However, all of these patients were rejected as I believe that plastic surgery should be performed based on the right indications to restore and enhance one’s appearance and not to alter the anatomy unnecessarily.”
He is not the only surgeon whose patients have made requests of a bizarre nature.
“I have had a few businessmen who have asked for their faces to be ‘frozen’ for their next business meeting to ensure that they had a poker face, devoid of all expression,” said Dr Roberto Viel, a plastic surgeon based at London Center for Aesthetic Surgery.
His brother Dr Maurizio Viel said cosmetic surgery can be addictive.
“In our 25 years in the industry, perhaps five to ten per cent of our patients would be classified as being ‘addicted’ to surgery,” he said.
“There are patients with body dysphoria. These are severe cases where patients have high expectations and they want results that are impossible. It is through experience or ethical values that we usually turn these patients away.”
Most plastic surgeons will receive unusual requests from patients, according Dr Matteo Vigo, chief medical officer at the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery Hospital
“The most unusual request I have personally ever received was from a 19-year-old girl who wanted to make her eyes look ‘feline’ by creating a very stretched almond shape through cosmetic surgery,” he said. “Naturally, I dissuaded her from pursuing the surgery.”
Surgeons have an ethical duty to say no to a patient if they are seeking a procedure for the wrong reasons such as pressure from a partner or if they are suffering from body dysphoria, said Dr Vigo.
A good cosmetic surgeon will always seek to give the very best, natural result by “enhancing natural beauty without creating any drastic changes,” he said.
jbell@thenational.ae
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More on plastic surgery in the UAE:
■ Dubai's plastic surgery boom continues
■ Demand for penoplasties increasing, say UAE surgeons
■ Girls as young as 13 requesting plastic surgery in UAE
■ Men in UAE seeking surgery to remove 'CEO belly'
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Demand for enhancements from men and women is continuing to grow in the UAE, especially in Dubai, which has more practitioners for each head of population than any other city. Girls as young as 13 are requesting plastic surgery as the pressure to fit society’s definition of beauty becomes too much. The most popular operations in the UAE include liposuction, breast enlargements and reductions, and facelifts. And the use of stem cells is set to make plastic surgery even more popular. Aesthetic surgery will play its part in Dubai’s ambitious plan to become a global centre for medical tourism.
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If you go…
Emirates launched a new daily service to Mexico City this week, flying via Barcelona from Dh3,995.
Emirati citizens are among 67 nationalities who do not require a visa to Mexico. Entry is granted on arrival for stays of up to 180 days.
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
Top financial tips for graduates
Araminta Robertson, of the Financially Mint blog, shares her financial advice for university leavers:
1. Build digital or technical skills: After graduation, people can find it extremely hard to find jobs. From programming to digital marketing, your early twenties are for building skills. Future employers will want people with tech skills.
2. Side hustle: At 16, I lived in a village and started teaching online, as well as doing work as a virtual assistant and marketer. There are six skills you can use online: translation; teaching; programming; digital marketing; design and writing. If you master two, you’ll always be able to make money.
3. Networking: Knowing how to make connections is extremely useful. Use LinkedIn to find people who have the job you want, connect and ask to meet for coffee. Ask how they did it and if they know anyone who can help you. I secured quite a few clients this way.
4. Pay yourself first: The minute you receive any income, put about 15 per cent aside into a savings account you won’t touch, to go towards your emergency fund or to start investing. I do 20 per cent. It helped me start saving immediately.
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
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Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
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Friday Valladolid v Osasuna (Kick-off midnight UAE)
Saturday Valencia v Athletic Bilbao (5pm), Getafe v Sevilla (7.15pm), Huesca v Alaves (9.30pm), Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid (midnight)
Sunday Real Sociedad v Eibar (5pm), Real Betis v Villarreal (7.15pm), Elche v Granada (9.30pm), Barcelona v Levante (midnight)
Monday Celta Vigo v Cadiz (midnight)
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Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
