A plastic surgery revolution in Iran has resulted in unprecedented numbers of men going under the scapel.

The most common proceedure is rhinoplasty - the nose job – with demand now so high that Tehran has been dubbed 'the nose job capital of the world' with more than 3000 licenced plastic surgeons operating in the city alone.

Iranian women first sparked the trend for nose jobs because strict Islamic dress regulations meant that practically the only part of them on show was their nose so they wanted to make the best of it.

Status symbol for the wealthy

But men have now followed suit and in the last ten years the trend has turned into a must-have status symbol for Iran's elite.

With the cost of an average nose job at around $4000 - $5000 (a small fortune in Iran), a nose job marks you out as wealthy.

Patients often keep their bandages on weeks longer than they need to as a way of showing their status and fake nose bandages are on sale for those who want to impress by pretending they've had surgery.

According to experts, Iranian men choose to have plastic surgery to make themselves more handsome and so attract a better wife.

Black market plastic surgery

Plastic surgery for both men and women has become largely accepted by the Iranian authorities - not usually known for their tolerance of 'frivolous vanity' – but the proceedures are not always allowed.

Many would-be patients are refused treatment if they are thought to have psychological problems. This has led to a burgeoning black market in 'back street' surgeons performing unsafe operations on those who've been refused treatment by mainstream clinics.