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AHMEDABAD, INDIA, December 21, 2003: Before lining up prospective grooms, many girls in Gujarat are lining up at clinics of dermatologists and plastic surgeons. When it began four years ago, the trend was restricted to the rich, but now even middle-class brides-in-the making submit to the scalpel to seek beauty. And one reason driving this need to look good is the demanding NRI groom and the very Gujarati urge to settle abroad, says this article. Dr. Naina Sharad, a plastic surgeon of Ahmedabad, says she gets five to six girls in their early twenties every month. “They want facial corrections, breast enhancements, liposuction for the hips and thighs,” she says. “They’ll pay anything for flawless skin and sharp features.” Facial-correction surgery might cost anything from US$ 400 -$1,000 per task, and skin treatments US$ 100- $700, adds Sharad. Gujarat Plastic Surgeons’ Association president Dr. A. Chadha says that in a recent meeting, the members reported an increase in the number of young patients coming in for cosmetic surgery. He adds that the trend is worrisome as girls gave primary importance to their appearance for non-medical reasons. Non-invasive skin treatments too can go wrong. “My face looked like a watermelon,” regrets one young woman, whose skin developed hyperpigmentation after she underwent “chemical peeling” for fairness despite warnings. She had to go to the US for a second round of treatment. Psychologist Aparna Mitra explains the belief system that drives the young to take such risks: “Good looks can get you a job, make your presence felt, and get you a rich and handsome husband.” Sadly, points out Dr. Bilwani, who heads Gujarat Burns Hospital, parents are more than willing to support this, even foot the bill.

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