Appreciate how you look: Mia

Women should learn to appreciate how they look before going under the knife, plastic surgeon Dr Ridwan Mia said on Wednesday.

   

"Self appreciation comes first," said Mia.

   

"The most gorgeous models walk into our consulting rooms asking to have a nose or lips changed... but we would be irresponsible if we do not show them and point out that they should appreciate themselves," he said.

   

Mia and his brother, aesthetic surgeon Dr Reza Mia, were speaking at a University of Johannesburg women's month event in Johannesburg.

   

Ridwan Mia is known for the skin transplant he performed on three-year-old Isabella "Pippie" Kruger, who was badly burned in an accident.

   

He used sheets of Pippie's own skin which were taken from her groin and sent overseas for cloning and then returned to be grafted on to her.

   

Ridwan said people needed to be encouraged to learn what inner beauty was all about.

   

The number of African women wanting to undergo plastic surgery was increasing.

   

"African women have such beautiful noses, their noses are well framed with their faces, but the number of them who come in and want to look like a particular actress or model is alarming."

   

Plastic surgery was not always the answer, he said.

   

"Beauty is not a formula, inner beauty is outside beauty." 

   

Leader of the newly formed political party Agang, Mamphela Ramphele, is expected to speak at the event.

   

-Sapa