When it comes to finding beauty, it is not only a women’s domain; men are also claiming their place on the aesthetic table or chair, and they are not shy about it. And this includes cosmetic surgery for men.

The other day I went for my usual laser hair removal in one of the leading cosmetic and skincare treatment clinics in Dubai. I was surprised to find just as many men as there were women, waiting for their turn on an array of beauty treatments and procedures.

If you are not a keen follower of the latest cosmetic trends, and if you had been there in that lobby with me, you would have easily assumed that the men in the room were there to offer moral support to their partners in this never-ending search for beauty. In reality, as I found out, it was mostly the wives doing the hand-holding.

Worldwide, according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) most recent statistics, women are still holding the lead when it comes to cosmetic surgery with 85.5% in 2014, with men coming at a paltry second with 14.5% in the same year. Looking back, the percentage of men seeking cosmetic procedures was only 9%, meaning men’s search for beauty has increased its pace.

I had a chat with one of the plastic surgeons at the clinic, Dr. Juan, who confirmed that more men are requesting cosmetic rejuvenation and enhancements. According to him, physical beauty and beautification are not taboo for men anymore, and society is catching up quite fast when it comes to understanding this new era of finding beauty.

ISAPS statistics show that the top five cosmetic surgical procedures for men around the world were Eyelid Surgery, Rhinoplasty, Liposuction, Gynecomastia, fat grafting, and ear surgery. But in the Middle East, UAE to be specific, Hair transplant and hair restoration are gaining more popularity among men than women.

Cosmetic Surgery for Hair Transplant & Restoration

So as usual, when it comes to matters pertaining to hair, I usually go to my trusted hair guru, who also happens to lead a hair transplant department at the leading (mostly) hair restoration center in the Gulf region.

According to Anisa, hair transplant surgery is the leading aesthetic procedure at her clinic. She notes that in the last five years, the number of men in search of a full head of hair has more than doubled. This is because men who are balding, either prematurely or otherwise, have realized they have a choice and that they do not have to walk around with a bald spot or clean-shaven head if they do not want to.

And this business is not restricted to scalp hair only because the center also does beard transplants, eyebrows, and eyelash transplants as well. Maybe I should do something about my eyebrows considering they are a bit scattered, but that’s a story for another day.

Basically, the results achieved with this hair transplantation include volume restoration with a natural hairline and guaranteed permanency; oh and the procedure is “minimally invasive” as she terms it.

Skin Treatments Cosmetic Surgery

Well, this is a bit tricky because men search for all kinds of skin treatments in Dubai. But according to one of the skin treatments experts at the clinic (she is a bit shy hence no name), laser hair removal is quite popular with men.

On this side of the world (Middle East), according to this expert in all matters skin, most men tend to be a tad bit hairy compared to other parts of the world. So when it comes to getting rid of that annoying body hair, the laser is the way to go, especially on their backs.

There is also another trend in laser hair removal, which is beard shaping. Since hair takes a bit of time to grow back after a laser session, men have their beards shaped, making it look like it was done with some surgical precision and some mathematics thrown in, while it has only been done with simple lasering.

I could go on and on and on about men and beauty, but for now, I will stop here and continue another time. If you are in search of beauty, I say go for it and find it wherever it may be, just don’t go to the extremes when it comes to cosmetic and plastic surgery.