Armenian Men are Also Eager to Look Young
“ArmInfo” News Agency interview with “Erebuni” medicenter plastic
surgeon Nara Tornikova Vardapetyan
by Tatevik Shahunyan
Monday, March 9, 00:40
Nara Tornikova, plastic surgery has become popular with our society
over the recent years. What is this tendency mandated by? Compared
with the previous years, how often have people started turning to
plastic surgeons aiming to correct their appearance?
– Yes, you have got the point. Plastic surgery has recently become
more popular with the Armenian society. The reason for this tendency
is particularly the change of people’s attitude towards their
appearance, as well as better availability of western trends in our
republic. For example, mostly women would turn to plastic correction
several years ago and even then not that often. However, nowadays men
are also aspiring to look handsome. When turning to rhinosurgery
before, the Armenian menfolk would particularly mention the correction
of the curved nasal floor or a slight correction of the nose but the
way “no one would notice”. However, nowadays they are quite bold at
making appearance correction requests. It is remarkable that most our
clients are “men of high profile” ; that is probably mandated by their
welfare, for plastic surgery still remains a costly affair for a
country like Armenia. Speaking of men in that matter, I believe it to
be quite clear that the number of women, who turn to plastic surgery
services, is permanently growing drawing on their natural desire to
always look good.
If we are to compare the number of utilization of plastic surgery
services to the ratio of population and operations carried out in
Armenia and the ones in foreign countries, do we lag behind?
– I wouldn’t say so; the ratio is almost the same.
Nara Tornikova, what are the most frequent requests of your patients?
-Well, number one, of course, is nose surgery; moreover, this service
is popular both with men and women. It is remarkable that there is
long held perception that, by reference to the so-called “Armenian
nose”, this type of surgery is extremely popular in Armenia. However,
that is not true, for “nose job” is as popular overseas as in our
country. After rhinosurgery come breast, belly and buttocks correction
types.
What types of plastic surgery are popular with men and women?
– Well, women are quite often to turn with belly correction requests.
Rejuvenating procedures, such as botox injections and
hyaluronan-products, are in great demand, too. However, it is
remarkable that these procedures have become more popular with men as
well. As it happens, Armenian men are also eager to look young. By the
way, in such cases they prefer absolute confidentiality.
What about the quality of plastic surgery services? Are our
specialists’ skills inferior to their overseas colleagues’?
– As for nose surgery, I can say that they are almost at the same
level. Moreover, compared to services offered in CIS, our services
appear to be of higher quality. This is evidenced by clients from
abroad as well.
What about financial issues? Despite the adverse socio-economic
situation you are saying that the number of plastic surgery patients
is growing taking into account the cost of the service and the fact
that plastic surgery is not on the list of health compulsory surgical
interventions.
– I have already said that mostly wealthy men turn to us. However,
representatives of middle class have recently shown a trend for
utilizing our services. Pursuit of beauty often makes them save
expenditure in order to turn to a plastic surgeon.
Let’s speak of the psychological aspect of the topic. Why do people
turn to a plastic surgeon – drawing on their natural desire to always
look beautiful and various appearance complexes, are there lots of
people who see appearance correction as a solution to their personal
problems?
– There is a disorder – dysmorphophobia. It is characterized by the
constant need for appearance correction, as well as by the permanent
resentment over the latter. However, that is not to say that people,
who turn to plastic surgery, suffer from some psychiatric deviations.
In most cases they are guided by the natural aspiration to look young
and beautiful at any age. However, as a plastic surgeon, I can assure
you that the appearance is not always a recipe for success. All too
often people with less symmetric forms and features make greater
advances than people with a perfect and faultless appearance.
Nevertheless, appearance correction gives people more self-confidence.
I am a person to favour natural beauty. What do you think, doesn’t a
person “lose” from repairing to plastic surgery? Doesn’t a person
become just a copy and lose his/her native trait?
– Definitely, it is not so if there’s need for surgery, and the
surgical intervention is performed correctly. If there is no need for
a surgical intervention, we, doctors, often back down operations.
My last question probably interests all filler-lovers. How safe is it
to use fillers and are there any counter indications?
– As for botox, there are no special counter indication, except
perhaps, allergic individuals, people with diabetes and pregnant women
shouldn’t betake such procedures. I want to advise patients to do
injections at medical centres, and not in skin-care shops, for
botulinum toxin may cause allergic reactions up to Quincke’s disease.
In such cases there is need for emergency interventions which,
however, one cannot get in skin-care shops. As for hyaluronan, there
are counter indications in case of autoimmune diseases.
To sum up, can we say that plastic surgery is a successful medical
sphere in Armenia?
– Definitely, this is evidenced both by service quality improvement
and the growing number of clients.
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