Iranian Media Claims: Men's Visits to Beauty Clinics Have Increased Tenfold

With the announcement from some unofficial sources about a significant increase in men's visits to beauty clinics, the secretary of the Iranian Society of Plastic Surgeons stated that "about 20 percent" of cosmetic surgeries in Iran are related to men. The newspaper "Hamshahri," affiliated with the Tehran municipality, quoted an operator from a beauty center located in northern Tehran, stating that men's visits to this center are primarily for (hair transplants, Botox, beard and mustache implants, and facial contouring, especially jawline contouring). The operator noted that men's inclination towards "Botox" has "increased significantly" in recent years, showing no difference from women's statistics, adding that their visits for "facial contouring," particularly jawline contouring, are "not less than those of women." The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued new warnings on breast implant packaging in November 2021 to inform patients of "potential risks" before surgery. Although official statistics on the exact number of men undergoing cosmetic surgeries are not available, according to Hamshahri, "some unofficial statistics" indicate that male cosmetic surgery in Iran has "increased tenfold" over the past five years. Accordingly, surveys from cosmetic surgeons' offices and field observations show that "almost 2 out of every 5 people who visit a doctor for rhinoplasty are male." On the other hand, Alireza Saberi, the secretary of the Iranian Society of Plastic Surgeons, explained in response to the question of what percentage of the cosmetic surgery demographic men constitute and which procedures they prefer: about 20 percent of cosmetic surgeries in Iran are related to men. According to this plastic surgery specialist, men are more inclined towards "facial cosmetic procedures" such as "facelifts" and "forehead lifts," followed by "rhinoplasty" and then "gynecomastia," a common condition in men characterized by enlarged breast tissue. The widespread trend of both women and men visiting beauty clinics in Iran compared to previous decades has turned this process into a lucrative and attractive activity for non-Iranians as well. The state news agency "ISNA" published an article in December 2021 titled "How Much Do Iraqis Spend in Iran?" examining the statistics of Iraqi tourists in Iran. According to this report, Iraqis spend the most time in Iran among foreign nationals traveling to the country. The report further stated that after pilgrimage, Iraqi tourists travel to Iran primarily for treatment, especially "plastic surgery."