Beverly Hills Doctors Migrating to the Middle East?

by Wendy Travis

While reality television is a decidedly American sport, that hasn’t prevented it from reaching to the far corners of the globe. Such is the lesson learned by cosmetic doctors in the U.S. that are discovering a whole new patient base migrating from the Middle East. Many of these patients have heard of physicians from reality shows like Dr 90210, featuring Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Dr. Jason Diamond. Now, they are looking for similar benefits as American patients – high quality surgical procedures to enhance their natural beauty.

Coming to America

In an interview in the Atlantic, Dr. Diamond said he began seeing patients in his Beverly Hills office that had traveled from areas throughout the Middle East to receive his services. Most of his early patients were from wealthy Arab families who wanted a wide range of plastic surgery procedures. Eventually, Dr. Diamond pursued a license to practice in Dubai, and began seeing patients at the American British Surgical and Medical Center.

In the beginning, Dr. Diamond could not keep up with the huge influx of patients who wanted his services in Dubai. He continued to travel overseas periodically to care for patients while maintaining his Beverly Hills practice at home. Since that time, Dr. Diamond has recruited other plastic surgeons to join him in his overseas efforts; the team rotates every two or three months, with each member spending about a week at a time at the Dubai location.

The Pursuit of Beauty in a Foreign Land

Dr. Diamond is surprised at the similarities in plastic surgery requests between Americans and Arabs, despite the ethnic and cultural differences between the two areas. Some of the most common procedures performed by plastic surgeons in the Middle East include:

Unfortunately, American doctors in Dubai also perform a number of revision surgeries to repair botched plastic surgery jobs done by Middle Eastern doctors. Many of those physicians hail from Syria and Lebanon, and Dr. Diamond says it’s clear the level of training there is not the same as in the U.S. Dr. Diamond works with those patients to give them results closer to their expectations, reversing the efforts of less skilled practitioners.

The Male Influence

Women between the ages of 20 and 50 are the most common patients at the American British Surgical and Medical Center and other plastic surgery clinics throughout the Middle East. However, doctors also operate on their share of male patients, as Arab men seek to enhance their appearance and their body contours as well. Common procedures for Arab men include:

Another rising trend in plastic surgery among Arab men is a moustache implant, according to a report last year at CNN. Thick, bushy moustaches are a sign of seniority, virility and wisdom in the Middle East, making them a coveted feature by men looking to get ahead in Arab business or politics. The procedure involves follicular unit extraction, which takes groups of hairs where hair growth is dense and places them in the moustache area.

From star-studded streets in Hollywood to the high rise luxury of Dubai, cosmetic surgery has come into its own. With many innovative and effective procedures now available, it is no wonder the world of plastic surgery has gotten much bigger today. If you or someone you know is interested in traveling for plastic surgery, or would like to speak to a doctor about your surgical options, please contact Plastic Surgery Portal today.