The number of Iranian women swept with the popular trend of altering their noses' shape to the European standards have grown drastically within the last few years.

Although other forms of cosmetic enhancement, including chin operations, finger nail implants, embedding fake diamonds in the gums and tattooed eyebrows, have also become popular, the nose job remains the most in-demand, reports Dawn.

Most women explain their decision to undergo plastic surgery giving the same innocent reasons like broken nose in childhood or breathing problems. However, the trend looks more like a virus as some fashion-conscious Iranians try to put it on display, pretending they had an operation by simply wearing nose plasters. Now Iran has the highest rate of nose surgery in the world, the tendency even led to the creation of new expression  “one million toman ($1200) nose.” But, in fact, the operation costs range from much less to 4-5 times higher.

Experts suggest several explanations to the phenomenon: from the Islamic dress code when women face is the only visible part of the body to psychological disorders: “Most of them [women asking for nose plastic surgery] I reject. It’s a psychological problem. I generally refer them to the psychiatrist. Often he  finds a mental problem and advises me not to operate,” shares  Farzin Sarkarat, a jaw and facial surgeon practising in central Tehran.

Some consider the new tendency dangerous as it led to the growing number of unqualified surgeons in Iran which in its turn resulted in rising numbers of facial disfigurement cases.