After years of trauma and blood shed, Iraq’s cosmetic surgeons have been able to finely hone their reconstructive skills on the unfortunate victims of a country in turmoil.
However now that the constant threat of violence has dissipated, plastic surgeons there are suddenly seeing their wealth of experience put to use in an altogether more conventional way, as the country sees a massive upsurge in demand for non essential cosmetic surgery procedures.
One such surgeon, Dr Abbas al-Sihn, reported to the BBC that he had seen his business increase by 50 percent in the last year alone and that he was currently doing roughly 50 operations per week. The most requested surgery is rhinoplasty, costing around $700.
Dr Sihn surmises that the young girls who come for surgery believe it will make them more attractive and therefore better marriage candidates. This is something they are able to think more about now that the environment has become more stable and the economic situation of the country is improving.
