Did Salman Khan fly to Dubai for a quick nip/tuck?

There’s no denying that if Los Angeles is the haven for cosmetic surgery seeking celebrities in the West, then Dubai is gaining similar notoriety in the East. The latest celebrity to have allegedly flown down to our sunny shores for a quick nip/tuck is none other than Bollywood’s Salman Khan. The actor, who has been sporting puffy eyes in his most recent films (with Veer being the most shocking revelation for his many fans), apparently snuck into Dubai last week to have those saddlebags surgically removed. According to sources, a specialist doctor was also flown down from Singapore to perform the procedure. But no other information was forthcoming. Khan, who walked the ramp on October 9 for his Being Human fashion show at the HDIL India Couture Week 2010, sported his sunglasses during the entire night ramp walk. The actor was then supposed to head down to Lonvala [a township on the outskirts of Mumbai] the following morning for a shoot of his reality TV show, “Big Boss”, but bailed on the cast and crew with the excuse of an eye infection. It was only when a Mid-day.com photographer caught Khan in a rare moment of removing his sunglasses that the truth, and the bloodshot red eye, was finally visible to the world. The price of fame? “Lower eyelid surgery is turning into a very common surgical procedure these days due to the fast-paced lifestyle that many follow,” said Dr Sanjay Parashar, specialist plastic surgeon, Cocoona, Centre for Aesthetic Transformation, Dubai. “Stress, lack of sleep, hormones and age can cause sagging and puffiness under the eyes. And yes, excessive alcohol consumption can also be an added factor.” Cocoona, which has catered to several international celebrities’ cosmetic surgical needs but refuses to divulge due to a confidentiality clause, says the eyelid reduction surgery, or Blethroplasty as it is medically called, is caused when fat accumulates under the eyes to create bags and puffiness. This usually occurs with advancing age. A consultant at CosmeSurge, one of the leading cosmetic surgery clinics in Dubai, says the procedure is popular amongst both men and women, and they usually perform both upper and lower eyelid surgeries simultaneously, as its more cost effective and the down time is the same. A lower eyelid surgery can range anywhere between Dh14,000 and Dh16,000, while combining the two can hike up the price to Dh20,000. Red-eye correction Says CosmeSurge’s Lara: “It is literally a one day procedure, which can be completed within the hour. If it’s a lower eyelid surgery, the stitches and any corresponding scar will be behind your eyelashes. Whereas if its upper eyelid procedure, then the scar will blend in with the lines in your skin.” She added that people could return home the same evening and be able to fly the following day. However, a general follow-up is usually required 10 days later and can be performed by any doctor. Khan’s alarming red eye makes the viewer wonder if the procedure went wrong, but Lara was quick to point out that while not common, sometimes an infection could cause the eye to swell up or result in bruising. “If the skin is very sensitive, the patient can develop bruises in the skin, which usually clear up in two weeks,” she said. “We also give antibiotics to patients to ensure there are no infections post op.” Celebrities on a knife’s edge Khan isn’t the only celebrity who has gone under the knife for Blethroplasty. In 2009, Hollywood’s Gerard Butler was pictured exiting an eye clinic sporting dark glasses with unnamed sources close to the actor confirming to the media at the time that he had indeed done a quick touch-up to remove the saggy bags from under his eyes. Other celebrities in the recent past who’ve had cosmetic surgical procedures performed on them, especially in Dubai, have reportedly been Khan again who underwent a hair transplant here several years ago. The surgery was botched up apparently, and he had to undergo many seatings before his crowning glory was restored. Celebrity Big Brother winner and actress Shilpa Shetty and Minissha Lambha have also allegedly undergone plastic surgery in Dubai to get the perfect nose. Both actresses have never confirmed such rumours.