Johannesburg - With all the hype around the new Barbie movie, South Africa’s very own “Barbie Surgeon,” Dr Kajal Lutchminarain is more than just a pretty face.
The acclaimed celebrity plastic surgeon, multiple beauty pageant winner and philanthropist, might be renowned for her pink aesthetic, but just like the beloved doll brings joy, this too is her aim with her practice.
“Barbie surgeon began with my patients coming into my treatment rooms which have a pink aesthetic,” she explained to The Saturday Star.
“They compared it to the Barbie dreamhouse, her warmth and her ability to wear many hats : doctor, beauty queen, actress, athlete etc thus the name came about.”
Lutchminarain also wanted her practice to be synonymous with all the positive Barbie and her trademark pink colour represented. But she was determined to use this platform to also prove that she is ‘beauty with brains’ and wanted to create a feminine and welcoming space.
“After being in a male-dominated industry of surgery, I wanted my practice to celebrate femininity because I want girls to know that even when you are part of an ‘all-boys club’, your softness is your strength, not your weakness.”
And in everything Lutchminarain does, she hopes to “celebrate women, womanhood, sexuality, and what it means to be a woman of colour at the forefront of change in this country.”
“I think women are complex human beings and gone are the days where we should accept being objectified,” she explained.
“Today’s women are unapologetically beautiful forces of nature, we are creators and nurturers by default but we are also powerhouses in other aspects of the world like corporate, sport and science, where we are now seeing the landscape changing and barriers being broken.”
Lutchminarain also believes that women prioritise themselves and she believes that plastic surgery is one of the ways many choose to do this.
“For the longest time, we have been taking a backseat with regard to self care and putting ourselves first, and I have found in my practice, that when you look good, you feel good and you cannot pour from an empty cup.”
A passion for plastic surgery began in Lutchminarain’s childhood as she confesses that she has been drawn to “beauty in everyday life.”
She fused this with her love for science and established her practices in Phoenix, Durban which offers a variety of procedures.
The most popular non-surgical procedures are lip filler and our medical grade facials and the most popular surgical procedures are breast reductions with a lift and 360 liposuction.
And while her practice is a luxury brand, Lutchminarain aims to customise a treatment plan for her clients.
“We want to fit everyone’s budget because feeling beautiful is for everyone.”
But ultimately, the esteemed plastic surgeon wants to use her practice to “break stereotypes and taboos around surgery.”
“Most of my patients are hardworking people with healthy diets and lifestyles, who have saved for their surgeries and are doing them for the right reasons,” she said.
“I would also love to educate people on safety, viewing your aesthetic doctor’s qualifications as well as the dangers of going to an unqualified person performing plastic surgery procedures resulting in ‘botched’ results.”
And while Lutchminarain has her hands full with her plastic surgery practice, she has also found the time for her other passions; films.
She is set to play Amisha, the main character in “The Cane Cutter”, a new international movie about Indian indenture.
The movie tells the tales of the first Indians’ arrivals to South Africa.
“Every scene is significant, with wonderful interwoven facts about our history as South African Indians,” Lutchminarain was previously quoted as saying.
And as a movie fanatic herself, Lutchminarain is excited to watch the new Barbie movie, which she believes sends a strong message.
“Barbie has been everything and sometimes she has done it all at once.
“From an astronaut, to a doctor to an actress, she has done it all and also after decades, she is still going strong with most other toys and trends having fizzled out, she has stood the test of time.
“Now there is a Barbie for everyone and we all have a little Barbie in us.”
Lutchminarain, who is also a former Miss India South Africa and Miss India World winner, also admires Barbie’s confidence, a quality she believes all women can possess.
“In a world full of trends where everyone wants to look like someone else, remember that the most confident thing you can be is the best version of you,” she said.
“There is true beauty in authenticity and your unique characteristics and features that make you who you are.”