Behind the veil, a quest for a perfect nose

Breast augmentation? Hair extension? Body tanning? Ziba has done it all in Islamic Iran...

Breast augmentation? Hair extension? Body tanning? Ziba has done it all in Islamic Iran, where only a woman8217;s face and hands should be visible and the garments she wears in public must hide her curves or, the under Sharia law, offenders face fines, whipping or jail.

But that has not stopped image-conscious Iranian women and a growing number are going under the knife for new noses, tummy tucks, liposuction, lifting eyelids or breast augmentation.

Dozens of beauty centers, including spas and salons, have mushroomed across Tehran promising to improve a woman8217;s looks.

Art student Ziba, 25, has done nose and breast surgeries. 8220;Now I want to be tanned and look more attractive,8221; she said, sitting in the waiting room of a northern Tehran spa.

Housewife Fariba, 34, like others wary of giving her full name, said: 8220;I come here twice a week. Wearing hijab does not mean we should not care about our looks.8221;

This spa has up to 40 customers a day, especially in summer when 8220;more parties are being thrown8221;, said Sara, the manager. 8220;I also have some customers who wear the chador. They want to look pretty at private parties.

8220;Any business related to Iranian women8217;s appearance makes good money,8221; she said. 8220;We offer services such as massage, tanning and facial cleansing.8221;

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In a land where unmarried men and women are not allowed to mingle and women have to respect the Islamic dress code, dentist Shokoufeh Molai spends around 1,000 a month on her looks.

8220;I have to look fresh and beautiful to preserve my marriage,8221; the 35-year-old woman said. She pays around 11 dollars a session for tanning.

While applying a special 250 cream on her face with her French manicured nails, she criticised Iran8217;s laws for not providing enough support to women.

Under Islamic law, men can marry up to four permanent wives and as many 8220;temporary wives8221;, via religious contracts which can last from a few hours to several years. Women who enter temporary marriages are divorcees or widows.

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Women, by contrast, require their husband8217;s permission to work or travel abroad and enjoy far weaker divorce and custody rights than men.

But with female graduates outnumbering men, women enjoy greater rights and opportunities than in many other Middle Eastern states. Many women run their own businesses and occupy senior management positions. They can practice almost any profession except judge or president of the country.