For years, openly discussing plastic surgery has been taboo except for the very rich, the very famous or the very bold. With cultural norms placing more emphasis on youth, beauty and healthy appearance, I have seen an increase in plastic surgery for all ages—both women & men. In fact the number of cosmetic procedures for menhas increased by more than 106% between 1997 and 2012, according to the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS),
Increasingly I find myself presented with the opportunity to speak frankly about plastic surgery options with men as they sit across from me, dressed in a patient robe, saying things like…”Doc, can you fix my neck”.
This nice older man came in to my office and told me this story. “When I was a kid my favorite thing was to go fishing with my Grandpa. I would sit at the front of the bass boat and glance over my shoulder, begging him to “go faster, go faster”. I knew we had reached the top speed of the Evinrude when the waddle on his neck began to flap back and forth like a turkey in the back seat of a convertible. Doc, I remember that sight like it was yesterday but that was 50 years ago. I think my grandpa was just born old. Well, last week I was speeding across the lake in my bass boat and I could feel my neck making that same turkey flapping motion and frankly it scared me. I realized now I look old like my Grandpa, so I called and scheduled an appointment the next day!”
I could totally relate to this man since I have had the same thought of, “hey, what is my dad doing in MY mirror?”
Women seem to have a more heightened sense of aging. Perhaps it’s because they critique themselves on a daily basis as to the effects of gravity and sun damage. Most men do not seem to suffer from this reality. They often think they look just fine… but they are wrong.
Generally men are aware they may have put on a few pounds since High School but they think they are looking pretty good. They may even think, “I’ll bet my letter jacket still fits”.
Suffering from this delusion, men typically tell me they don’t want to look different or even really want to look younger. They just want their eyes, or neck or whatever they perceive the problem to be, fixed. As if this one region of their face or body aged while the rest of them was frozen in time. I realize these may be brutal facts, but I also drink from this “man“ cup.
Men want plastic surgery for two reasons: to address a perceived problem and to keep their competitive edge socially & in the job market. I have seen a sharp increase in male aesthetic patients in the past five years. Most fall into one of these five categories:
Mid 40’s Dad- This is for the man who wants subtle changes with little downtime. I call this the Daddy Do Over,which may include: eyelids, liposuction, Botox and dermal fillers.
Men with gynecomastia or man-boobs-These men range in age from 18-80 and have varying degrees of enlarged breasts. This requires a combination of resection and liposuction.
Spare Tire Man– This is the man who is physically fit and trim but has stubborn love handles or “the spare tire”. The treatment for this is liposuction.
50+ Man– This is for the businessman seeking to maintain his competitive edge or just “hates his neck”. They require the Dow-Jones Do Over This can include a neck lift, face lift, eyelid surgery, dermal fillers, skin care, and hair transplants
Massive Weight Loss– These men are to be congratulated for their hard work to lose a large volume of weight. Now what to do with all that skin? They require a combination of skin excision, liposuction and a body and/or face-lift.
As with all plastic surgery care, plans are individualized and never one size fits all.
Be sure to follow my blogs over the next few weeks as I elaborate on each of these plastic surgery procedures for men. Feel free to call my office with any questions or to schedule a consultation to discuss your individual concerns.
Time to Man Up!