Thursday, September 02, 2010

pretty people

I placed this post on UAECB.

The post is about an increase in cosmetic surgeries in the UAE, especially amongst men, and people from conservative cultures. Personally, I do not know of men who considered or discussed going under the knife. Most folks I know, diet and exercise to stay in shape and feel fit. Hence, reading this piece in Gulf News, had a few surprises, sort of. Perhaps in some ways, it also shows the changing ways of life of people living in the UAE / GCC.

My personal view, is that, if somebody wants to change the way they look and consequently feel about themselves, and are willing to take the risks under the knife, it is their choice. I may not support such ways amongst close friends or family, however I wouldn't get all righteous on them, or perhaps I shall -- depends on the situation.

That said, in some instances, things might just work out quite well!

24 comments:

Al-ain Rose said...

My male cousin, 36 y/o, had a nose job.

My freind sent me her pic, a month ago, I didn't know her. I'll blog about it.

rosh said...

You serious, a Man-Nose job?!

Al-ain Rose said...

why not? You should know true men went extinct long time ago. :P
well, he used to have a bone on the middle of his nose. He felt the need to remove it.wanna just add, he's not that shallow kind of guys. He has a high police rank.Everybody has the right to look handsome, no? LOL

Emiratesque said...

Feeling the need to change how you look has a lot to do with your self esteem and how you feel about yourself.

I am against people who go under the knife to look like someone else, someone famous. Or people who over do it and end up looking everything but human: huge lips, tiny nose, raised eye brows that look like Macdonald's golden arches. That's extreme. But we see that kind popular amongst Arab TV stars nowadays. They look fake, and funny.
Personally, I wouldn't change one thing in myself unless for medical reasons, and Inshallah I won't need it.

Maybe hair translpant after,,,let's see,, 10 yrs maybe?! What about you Rosh, how about body sculpting? :D

rosh said...

A bump on the nose 'could' be valid reason, I suppose. It gets subjective, doesn’t it. True Rose, everybody should be free to look good 

El, I agree with you. I've seen (and know) women who get work done on their face even before they hit 30. It takes away their natural youth - it looks 'fixed' up. That is unfortunate. I think, once we understand / ACCEPT / realize ageing is as beautiful as youth, self esteem shall be back on track.

Hair eh? :) That's just trying to keep what you already HAVE! I won't need the hair thingy - have way much - and looking at my dad / grandad it doesn't look like it's going anywhere. Different for my younger brother though. I don't think I'll change anything.. perhaps, continue to keep the teeth aligned and (sanely) white :) Nope, no body sculpting. I run and work out every week. It also helps stay healthy / fit. Touchwood, like you, I'm pleased the way I am, at least physically :)

Anonymous said...

I agree it is linked to self esteem. But Sometimes the pure pressure to be "perfect" as perpetuated by everyone is too great for some.

I know many guys who have had various things done. But most would never admit it, at least not to someone who isnt their close friend or family.

As for nose jobs, 3 guys in my family have had them, but they were all because of problems breathing, something about the inside of the nose not being straight, It wasnt anything serious, you wont die from it, The most is a bit of an annoyance, but they got it fixed and by doing so their look did change.

So it was a mix of "health" and vanity (more so vanity I think)

Others I know have had various implants, laser hair removal, hair transplanting...

Personally, I use ALOT of beauty products, face masks, almond peels, apricot scrubs... But thats the extent. I'm not willing to pay money for a nose... That can go towards more car parts.

rosh said...

"various implants, laser hair"

Men?

"face masks, almond peels, apricot scrubs"

WHERE do you find the time?? I use a shaving lotion and sunblock. Drink plenty of water and try get as much as sleep possible. Don't buy into anything else. I don't think they work.

The only product I splurge - the stuff from 'The Art of Shaving'. It's not much of a problem if you have a tough skin and a soft beard. But may god have mercy on your soul, shaving-wise anyway, if it's the other way around, especially if the grain on your face goes all different ways. I found salvation in The Art of Shaving.

Anyway, I put up this post, partly from a conversation with a very good friend last weekend. She is scheduled to have a 'procedure' and enhance a pair of 'assets' in a few months. The conversation moved to male surgical procedures -lots of new stuff. Today, I read GN's piece. Seems it's all too common.

Al-ain Rose said...

"various implants, laser hair"

Men?
...
to sculpt their beards, many guys here do it. and also to avoid the shaving problems.

some remove the whole body hair, and that's just gayish. there is famous gu(a)y in the UAE who does this.yuck


at the cosmetic clinic I go to I have seen more men than women. It's very common, not a big deal, rosh.

Firefox said...

I believe men aren't as open about their insecurities and they try to make up for their inadequacies in different ways.

It's more acceptable for a woman, for example, to complain about her weight. The pressures on women to look a certain way are definitely higher in comparison but the pressure on men is increasing over time. The rise of the metrosexual and that.

If I had inherited a typical hooked Arab nose, I might have chosen to fix it. I'm aware that it's appealing in some cultures, but it isn't to me. I'm the one who has to live with my face for the rest of my life.

I try not to judge those who go under the knife. Not every patient has the same mindset. If they're shallow on the inside, then I tend to think poorly of them.

hemlock said...

okay. gentlemen, TMI. i want a man who is clean, showers at least once a day - or more frequently, when required. and he should cut his nails.

seriously, a guy who spends more time on himself than i do on me is bad news.

that said, "rise" in surgery is also a testament to how superficial we are becoming as people. and how desperate we are for quick fixes, the right-here-right-now mentality - that's for lipo at least.

surgery - and associated risks - should not be taken lightly, so i applaud people who take it on - whatever their reasons may be.

my surgery of choice would be a lobotomy :)

Firefox said...

"okay. gentlemen, TMI. i want a man who is clean, showers at least once a day - or more frequently, when required. and he should cut his nails.

seriously, a guy who spends more time on himself than i do on me is bad news."

And cleans his ears and plucks his nose hairs.

I don't think that's too much to ask. I totally agree with you.

A vain man is a turn off. :/ That's my job. ^_^

Firefox said...

Oh and upkeeps his facial hair.
No hobos.

rosh said...

What exactly is 'sculpt' the beard Rose? A man without facial hair is NOT a man, IMHO :)

FireFox, I'm completely on board for decent grooming. It's important to be presentable. But there is a fine line being well groomed, and possibly coming across a pretty boy :)

I also understand / agree more than often the decision / choice to go under the knife may depend on the circumstances and the place where one is in his / her life. Though I admit, I still can't get used to the idea of women under 30 going under the knife, or men doing breast reductions. But then again, I don't get a whole lot of things.

And to all you girls, may I say, it is some women folk, who more than often, persuade, guys to get into all that man-care / metro sexual stuff. A few ladies wanted me along for some pedicure and manicure. And some guys do this sort of stuff more now. My younger brother's fiancé constantly advices on products to use on his face, to keep away the redness?!! My best friend constantly stare at my eyelashes - yes, my eyelashes. She thinks I have "long" and "pretty" eyelashes, and should ahem 'enhance / show them off' them using her perm clips! At first I thought she was just being funny, but now, it's like men do it so often. Some guys also, maintain their eyebrows. I don't even use a comb on the darn bush.

Lobotomy is a brilliant idea! It's like getting to the root cause of all issues for that permanent fix! :)

Firefox said...

LOL. I was referring to my preferences of course. Some women like pretty boys. If a guy feels comfortable without any fuzz, that’s up to him. I just happen to be a huge facial hair fanatic.

Any kind of perm can seriously damage your hair so I wouldn’t risk it when it’s not a necessity. :/

Now, there’s nothing wrong with a little eyebrow maintenance if you’ve got the cookie monster look going on.

Emiratesque said...

@ hemlock, LOL Lobotomy? How old are you? That's so 1940's.
There are pills nowadays that would give you same effects, if not better.

But like rosh, I like the idea :)

hemlock said...

FF: Hobos have their entertainment value :D i mean, yeah, they do. briefly.

the only time i liked facial hair on a guy was a long long long long long time ago. i dont like pretty boys, but i dont like gorillas either.

rosh: if you ever admit to me you've accompanied a chick to a pedi-mani, i swear boy, i will brand you gay.
for life.
remember, the virtual life is never-ending.
chicks always want a man on their arm, preferably a gay one. less hassle.

*sigh* i remember drowning in cesspools of hedonism fenced by thick luscious lashes once upon a time.
lashes on a guy are so sexy. i demand a picture of your eyelashes so we can rate them "hot or not".

el: old enough to know my issues arent external ;)
sorry yo! pills dont sound half as exciting. plus i dont see why my hard earned money should buy a pharma-MD a new yacht.

rosh said...

Hems, I don't do the P/Ms, though I know couples who do it together / coordinate breaks during lunch etc. Anyway that's different to young women / men going under the knife. umm.. posting pics of "eyelashes" - a very manly thing to do. Wicked! :)

That said, what IS the deal with women and makeovers? Women in the morning bus / train to work, have this makeover ritual. Everybody has their bags full of pencils, powder, brush, colours (varied kind), stuff for the eyes, the lips and other fancy looking tubes & 'equipments'. Public transportation feels like a giant mobile lipstick jungle! Trust me, when I say, for the most part, I can't tell the difference, after all that effort..tsk tsk!

Emiratesque said...

Women fixing thier make-up in public..not sexy!

No one would want to see a 'Before and After' show live infront of them. For me it's a turn off.

hemlock said...

rosh, you've been raving about your eyelashes for at least three years now. i have your comments to prove it. you may as well share the gift and make our day =P plus, you'll get a broader perspective - counting on one person (for all your fashion advice) could potentially be disastrous in the long term.

el: i have it on record from a male friend that he could make a two hour documentary on women applying lip gloss. and that he'd never get bored of watching it.
so im guessing it's different person to person?

Emiratesque said...

@ hemlock, I am talking about the kind of make up that make women stretch their faces in a funny way while applying.

Applying lip gloss is an exception ..ehm.

I am more into the natural look. And it is true, it's different from person to another.


@ rosh, yeah, show us the lashes.

We wanna know: Maybe you were born with them, maybe it's Maybelene.

*Taddum Tishh* LOL

Skeptical Empiricist said...

Just wondering.. would a person, for whom is getting married, give a list of their cosmetic surgeries they've undertaken !!

rosh said...

Hems: a) the only thing I rave about is the 'holy' shwarmah! b) I can't help it if some women find them a turn on? What's a man to do? :D

El, you CRACK me up! Classic! It certainly ain't Maybelline hahaha!

Also women in the morning rush hour to work, applying make up, IS an EPIC movie! The many faces and the expressions, the art of balancing herself, on 7 + inch Blahniks in a crowded city bus, attempting to make that face up from last night's hangover. Hell it's an epic you'd like to watch! :)

rosh said...

Rationality..umm.. nope! :)

Princess, I hear you. All it takes is 30 mins of warming up with weights and 30 mins on a treadmill.

i*maginate said...

Easier to be fat in UAE than not, I hear you too :)

Here's to long life to BB so I can listen to my music and pump away all those calories, attributed to fat men and their unwanted stares. :)