Beauty clinic

Professor Pierre Francois Fournier is often called the father of minimally invasive cosmetic procedures, thanks to his pioneering treatments that allow people to stay young. In Dubai this week to announce his affiliation with the Aesthetica Clinic, the Parisian surgeon shares the secrets of his success with Emirates Business and his opinions on plastic surgery.

What are the most popular treatments? The majority of patients want lipo filling, or fat injections. Twenty per cent of people have too much skin so we make it shorter by putting in fillers, while 80 per cent lose volume so they need a facelift to pull it up. They also want it to be done as naturally as possible, so we don't use as many artificial fillers.

What are the advantages of minimally invasive procedures? They are much cheaper than surgery and even more so when a natural filler is used. The fat in natural fillers is still alive because it has been taken from the body – usually the hips – and contains oestrogen, which improves the complexion. If we take out more than we put back in, some women use the rest as a night cream as it's one of the best ones around.

But what about the disadvantages? These treatments don't last. A filler in the nose, for example, has to be re-done every two years, while surgery is for life. Sometimes, in the case of preventing sagging skin, the procedure will only last a couple of years, but the scars are for life.

Will these treatments eventually replace surgery? In the future we may not need surgery because most patients just want to stay young and enhance their beauty rather than completely change their looks. It's like a drug for some so they come back every four or five years for retouching and as we are living longer, people are taking better care of themselves, both inside and out.

Is there more pressure on women to look good now than ever before? It's more difficult to be a woman than a man because in many countries beauty is a necessity that they have to conform to. We have a saying in France that women are like flowers – that they have to look different on the same stem every day.

Green shopping

Homegrown bookstore chain Magrudy's is going green. Beginning this week, all five outlets will replace current paper bags with those made from jute, a biodegradable material that is strong, waterproof and reusable. The Dh1 a bag charge will be donated to the planting of new trees in sustainable forests. All loyalty card members get points when they bring their own environmentally friendly bags back.

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