In any given neighborhood in Lebanon’s capital, multiple beauty salons offer an array of services. In Salon Hanadi, one of the plethora of small beauty parlors in its area, a group of women discussed the pressure they feel to be beautiful.

Salon owner Hanadi Syala joined the conversation between two women about why they need frequent appointments with the scissors, syringe or even the knife to look good. Syala has been working as a hairdresser for 17 years, and the 42-year-old said things have changed drastically since she started.

“Nowadays, people are very judgmental, especially women,” Syala told Al-Monitor. “There is this expectancy, they want this first impression. A woman feels pressured to be pretty and it’s increasing alarmingly. It’s affecting women’s confidence.”

In Lebanon, appearance is paramount and the beauty industry thrives. In addition to typical salon services for hair, makeup and waxing, increasingly popular are Botox and fillers, according to Syala. Plastic surgery has long been prevalent in Lebanon, but was more so before the conflict in Syria. The instability resulting from the war in Syria has led to a decrease in trips to get such work done in Lebanon, the plastic surgery hub of the Middle East.