Nose job boom in Iran where procedure can boost social status

All the women in Iranian model Azadeh's family have had nose surgery, each feeling the pressure to conform with Western beauty standards in a country where female bodies are heavily policed.

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TEHRAN - All the women in Iranian model Azadeh's family have had nose surgery, each feeling the pressure to conform with Western beauty standards in a country where female bodies are heavily policed.

To Ms Azadeh, smoothing out the bump in what Iranians would call the "Persian nose" she was born with proved a lucrative investment.

Since the 1979 Islamic revolution, Iranian women have been required to dress modestly and cover their hair, and the beauty industry has become almost entirely centred on the face.

Having rhinoplasty - a nose job - can make a major difference, Ms Azadeh told AFP.

"After the operation, not only have I earned myself a modelling job with better social standing, but I'm also earning three times more and I'm more respected by clients," she said.

Ms Azadeh, 29, asked that her surname be withheld because women models can face social pressure in Iran.

According to the US-based International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, more than 264,000 cosmetic operations were performed in Iran in 2023, with rhinoplasty being the most common.