Warning over 'aesthetic surgeons'

A Dubai-based plastic surgeon has warned people not to be fooled by so-called 'aesthetic surgeons'.

Dr Ali Al Numairy, President of the Plastic Surgeons Society and Consultant Plastic Surgeon at Rashid Hospital, said 'aesthetic surgery' is a grey zone.

"There are many who come here and procure a licence to work as a doctor in a specific specialisation, say gynecology. But once they get the licence they work as 'aesthetic surgeons' illegally," he said.

He pointed out that plastic surgery is mostly reconstruction surgery. "Plastic surgery is the surgical art of molding tissues, and the reconstruction which deals with abnormal parts or tissues," he said.

"Aesthetic surgery is the surgical art, which deals with normal tissues affected by physiological process of ageing, excessive exposure to sunlight and free radicals."

Dr Al Numairy said that while aesthetic surgery is a branch of plastic surgery, all plastic surgeons are not aesthetic surgeons and vice versa.

Dr Al Numairy alleged that those who fail in plastic surgery try to become aesthetic surgeons.
"The procedures of aesthetic surgery are limited, so they learn a few tricks and procedures and claim they are aesthetic surgeons," he said.

He narrated a true incident: "A doctor came to the UAE and announced in the media that he had performed aesthetic surgery on the famous Arab singer, Warda. The singer looks really stunning.

"People were excited and they started going to him for surgeries. He was treating people for almost four months until the authorities found out that he does not have a specialisation degree. Now, he works as an office boy in one of the beauty salons."