What if the Mona Lisa visited Lebanon? .. This is one of the classic jokes that spreads widely on social media in Lebanon, as even the lady of the world's most famous painting has pictures with puffy lips, a puffed chest, and a taut face.

The intention is to show how widespread cosmetic interventions are in society, especially among women who seek to improve their appearance according to certain standards or hide the signs of aging.

These costly interventions do not seem to have been prevented from spreading more and more by the greatest economic crisis in the country's history.

While the indicators and reports talk about collapse and bankruptcy, for some, beauty remains a priority.

"Contrary to what some may think, we work more during times of war and crises; in these circumstances, a person seeks to improve themselves psychologically, and half of the cosmetic effect is a psychological effect," says plastic surgeon Dr. Tony Nassar as he explains that as people lose their savings and the value of their money, many see that the only worthwhile investment is in themselves.

In his crowded clinic, like most cosmetic clinics in the country where appointments are booked weeks in advance, we met Amanda Noufal, who has been regularly getting filler and Botox injections for years, even though she is only thirty-five years old.

She says her husband – like many men – does not prefer these procedures, but she does it for herself because any wrinkles on her face bother her.

Amanda was undergoing a procedure called: 1,2,3. It involves a Botox injection that the doctor administers in three stages in three places on the face. The procedure takes less than thirty seconds.
The cost with this doctor is about two hundred dollars.

"The amount is equivalent to what one might spend on a dinner or on a shopping day," says Dr. Nassar, referring to the relatively low cost – in his opinion – of Botox or fillers, which may explain the ease of access to these procedures.

Of course, this does not reflect the general situation in the country, as the minimum wage in Lebanon is only one hundred dollars per month – and wage values have plummeted tremendously over the past three years with the local currency losing more than eighty percent of its value.

It is true that a large part of those who undergo these procedures are Lebanese expatriates who visit their country periodically, and this cost may not be exorbitant for them compared to the cost of these procedures in the countries they work in, but that does not mean that cosmetic surgery is limited to the affluent among residents and expatriates.

"I saved for months to have some interventions on my face," says Nasreen Jaber, who teaches kindergarten classes in a private school, and her monthly salary does not exceed 300 US dollars.

Yet she would not deprive herself of this cosmetic touch before her wedding.

"Having these procedures was part of the preparations for my wedding day, just like the dress, hair, and makeup. And of course, it cost me a significant amount for me, but I considered it a priority."

When asked about the reasons that drove Nasreen to undergo these interventions, she initially replied that they are trendy and everyone is doing it, which made it seem normal to her.

Before the current crisis, banks used to offer loans specifically for cosmetic procedures, and there are those who resort to unlicensed clinics in search of cheaper prices, although the state often works to close such clinics, especially when news about deformities spreads from time to time.

On the other hand, some people resort beyond the borders .. to Damascus for cosmetic procedures at a quarter of the cost in Syria.

Even at the height of the war in Syria, when countries warned against traveling there due to its being one of the most dangerous areas security-wise, Lebanese women would travel to Damascus seeking cosmetic enhancement.

In 2018, Yara took a taxi to Damascus where she had a nose job that cost her $400 while she would have paid at least two thousand dollars in Lebanon for the same procedure.

"I paid this amount because I went to a very famous surgeon. I could have done the procedure at half the cost with an ordinary doctor."

Yara did not consider that she was taking any risks that day. "There were many people doing it daily, and I went to Damascus where there were no battles."