Saba Ahmed talks to model-turned-entrepreneur Nadia Hussain about her other job — cosmetic surgery and the murky field of aesthetics
What is the most common Botox request you get from clients?
To make them fair. This has become the most common demand. Now clients want whitening injectables. This also includes already very fair clients. It’s unbelievable to me. There are Pathans, Baloch, Sindhis, all types of people who are already fair demanding fairness injectables. I tell them to their face that it will change nothing about their appearance. How much more fair do they want to become?
Can you describe your philosophy on beauty regarding plastic surgery and identity?
Since it is an elective procedure, it’s definitely up to the client and if it boosts their confidence and if they feel good about it, then there’s no harm in going ahead with these procedures.
What are the most common concerns clients have regarding injectable procedures?
There are a lot of people who are generally afraid of needles and don’t want to get anything injected on their faces. The other factor that holds people back are budget limitations. These injectable procedures are aesthetic procedures and the concerns that most people have less to do with the possible side effects and more to do with the fact that the procedure may have to be repeated. Sadly, everyone wants a quick fix and that is just not possible. I tell them that there is no such thing. This is a solution to your problem, I tell them, but you will have to come back for repeat treatments. Even if you feel that a lot of money is being spent on these treatments, don’t believe that when you reach the age of 50 that you might not need a face lift. These treatments cannot stop aging, they can only camouflage your lines and are not a permanent solution to ageing.
It’s not just dark girls, it’s the fair girls too who want to become fairer
Do you feel that Pakistan is moving in a more positive direction regarding perceptions of beauty, especially regarding skin colour?
There are young girls in the media and on television nowadays — I don’t want to take names — but they are all somehow very fair. I have recently shot a pilot project in which I was to play a role where I am to transform from ugly to beautiful and the only real difference between me being ugly and beautiful was that for ugly, I was dark, and for beautiful I was fair. I argued saying this was not right to portray, I am coming from a salon where I am telling women that it’s ok to be dark and here I am myself doing this project. So to make me go from badsoorat to khoobsoorat, the only thing they did was to make me go from dark to fair.
As far as whitening is concerned, our perceptions as a country have not changed much at all. As far as skincare goes, yes, people have become very positive, they do want to take care of their skin, they use good products, everybody is very conscious now. They want to know good treatments — for example, people are getting regular facials, regular cleansing, investing in good-quality creams; they are very conscious of all of that. But this whitening thing has become too much, it’s not just dark girls now, it’s the fair girls too who want to become fairer.
The clients who go a bit crazy are the ones who get lip fillers done
Have you had any clients who were going too far? Can you tell us about the experience?
The clients who go a bit crazy are the ones who get lip fillers done. Sometimes I have to tell them, enough, this is not suiting you, this is more than you need, but they don’t want to hear anything, and they insist, just a bit more, just a bit more. I had an experience where a young girl had just had a full filler done about a month ago and she came back, when the filler was very much still there and said that her most recent injection had made no effect and that she wants more. So I put another filler and advised her to stop at half, at which she told me no, that it’s still looking insubstantial and that she wants more. To which again I advised her to let the swelling come down a bit and get the rest done after a week. She told me no and to do it all now, so I did the full filler. So the next day, her lips were really really big and she really got worried. I told her I told you so. That is the most common issue that happens with lip filler clients, they want these unnaturally huge pouty lips.
To make me go from badsoorat to khoobsoorat, the only thing they did was to make me go from dark to fair
What’s the most ridiculous request you’ve ever received from a client?
A lot of older clients with very deep lines and very deep wrinkles want a quick fix. They want the wrinkles to disappear and not come back. For such clients, nothing of this sort will work and they need a face lift or some other surgical procedure. When you have deep lines, you’re going to have to use a whole lot of filler. You do end up looking rather artificial.
Have you had any work done yourself?
I’ve done fillers and Botox, both, but it’s been a while since I last did anything. After my second baby I did thermage on my tummy for the loose skin. Other than that there’s not much.
Photography | AB Lakhani
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