A man receives a hair implant surgery at a beauty clinic in Gaza City, on March 19, 2022. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
by Sanaa Kamal
Gaza, March 27 (Xinhua) -- With a charming and attractive smile, Sumaia Ibrahim, a Gaza woman, stood in front of a mirror to admire her new look after losing nearly 75 kg.
"I have been suffering from obesity for more than 20 years as my weight used to be about 140 kg," the 39-year-old lecturer told Xinhua.
Her appearance has greatly changed after she has taken liposuction and adhered to a strict diet.
"Thanks to my new look, I became a confident woman and was able to show my both inner and outer beauty," she said.
Tariq Dirdisawi, a pediatrician from Gaza City, plans a hair implant surgery, hoping to get rid of the baldness that has troubled him for years.
The 41-year-old father of three told Xinhua that what prompted him to undergo plastic surgery was mainly the desire to obtain a good look and partly related to an increasingly open society in Gaza.
"It is not a shame to take care of ourselves, whether we are men or women. In the past, when I wanted to have such surgery, it required me to travel to Turkey, Egypt, or another country, which would cost me a lot of time, effort, and expenses, but today things have become easier," he said.
"I am excited to see my new look after restoring my falling hair, especially since I have to deal with people every day. I'd like to have the best look in front of my patients," he explained.
Ibrahim and Dirdisawi are among hundreds of clients who resort to the beauty clinic supervised by plastic surgeon Ahmed al-Moghrabi.
"Although plastic surgery began in the Gaza Strip about 20 years ago, the culture of cosmetic surgery was not widespread among the Gazan people," al-Moghrabi told Xinhua, adding that cosmetic surgery used to be even a "social taboo" for Gazans.
But today, the doctor added, more ane more people tend to take cosmetic surgeries to improve their appearance, even with thin wallets.
According to the doctor, liposuction, tummy tucks, eyelids, ear plastic surgery, fat injections, and hair transplantation are the most popular operations among the locals, noting that he performs about 30 cosmetic surgeries per week.
"The average price of cosmetic surgeries starts from 100 to 2,500 U.S. dollars, depending on its type, duration, and difficulty," the doctor said.
He added that "the price may seem exorbitant to some, especially with the difficult economic situation experienced by patients, but the demand for plastic surgery has been noticeably increasing recently." ■
A man receives a hair implant surgery at a beauty clinic in Gaza City, on March 19, 2022. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
A man receives a hair implant surgery at a beauty clinic in Gaza City, on March 19, 2022. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
A medical assistant displays hair follicles during a hair implant surgery at a beauty clinic in Gaza City, on March 19, 2022. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
