Knife before knot is the new mantra

Kavita, 23, a BPO employee, had it all — a well-paying job, a vibrant social life. Little room for complaints, you would think.

But, strangely, she never quite exuded the confidence befitting a young, successful woman. “I was not comfortable with my body. I didn’t think I had a good figure because of my small breasts,” she says matter-of-factly. And when Kavita got into a relationship, her partner inadvertently played on her weakness by commenting on her body. As soon as her marriage date was finalised, Kavita went in for a breast implant, just to live up to her partner’s expectations on her wedding day.

Kavita is not alone in this insecurity. The ongoing marriage season has seen a number of prospective brides and grooms at the doors of cosmetic surgeons and, ultimately, on the surgery table. “On my D-day, I obviously wanted to look like a perfect bride. I am happy with my new figure, so is my husband,” says Kavita, who tied the knot recently.

Plastic surgeon and cosmetologist Meenakshi Agarwal says that she has observed a 30-40% rise in patients willing to go under the knife this marriage season.

“People undergo cosmetic surgery because they have to face the camera for professional reasons, for health reasons or they are finicky about their body,” says psychiatrist Harish Shetty. He feels that these people have already planned to undergo cosmetic surgery at some point, and marriage gives them the perfect opportunity to do just that.

Exposure to ‘perfection’ in glossies and on television lures them towards cosmetic surgery. “The bridal trousseau on a slim bride or a well-fitting sherwani on a well-built groom on a magazine cover instantly evokes desire for a body like that,” says clinical psychologist Seema Hingorrany.

For sexologist Rajan Bhonsle, who counsels many couples seeking advice on pre-marital surgery, the increasing awareness and availability of cosmetic surgery makes it popular among the youth. “Today, celebrities openly talk about how they have enhanced their physical assets or facial features with cosmetic surgery and there is this mindset that if you are in the marriage market, then you have to be the best to get the best,” says Bhonsle.
Brides opt for pre-marital treatments that range from non-surgical procedures like skin, back and arm polishing, scar removal, botox, fillers, and hair removal, to surgical procedures like liposuction, rhinoplasty (nose job), breast augmentation and breast implants.

Milind Wagh, cosmetic and reconstructive surgeon, LH Hiranandani hospital, says that at times the bride’s mother or aunt insists on the procedure. “They want their girl to look her best on her wedding day. They usually ask for tummy tucks and toned arms,” he says.
Another cosmetic surgery that women mostly opt for before marriage is hymenoplasty  A surgery which is slowly picking up here, hymenoplasty is said to have originated and gained popularity in Middle Eastern countries, and is essentially to restore a woman’s hymen and hence her virginity. “I did a hymenoplasty for a young girl who didn’t want her to-be husband to know that she had lost her virginity,” says Agarwal.

However, Bhonsle regards hymenoplasty “backward”. 

“The hymen can tear off by any rigorous or strenuous activity but the pressure on a girl to prove her virginity is tremendous,” he says, and admits that he does not encourage it.
It is also worthwhile to note that grooms too are increasingly opting for cosmetic surgery. While liposuction is common, gynecomastia (male breast reduction) and hair transplant are also gaining popularity among the men.