David Santos MD FACS, Facialbeauty.com

Over the years, I have seen an increase in requests for plastic surgery procedures by men.

There is a commonly held belief that women request plastic surgery procedures more often than men. In my practice, facelift is the predominant procedure performed, and is requested more by women: 85% of those who undergo a facelift are women, while 15% are men. But more and more, men present for consultation requesting face and body rejuvenation.

The continual uptick in cosmetic and plastic surgeries indirectly has been driven by the children of World War-II or the baby boomers. There is a good aliquot of men who simply are starting to take really good care of themselves both through exercise, diet, and a healthy lifestyle. And to further their better health desires and achieving a feeling of greater self-esteem, men are seeking out the benefits of face and body plastic surgery more.

The following is the best list of the most commonly requested procedures by men that I have encountered over the last five years in order of frequency:

Botox® and fillers. Botox and filler treatments are the non-surgical and highly sought after rejuvenation treatments that constitute a multi-million dollar industry in the United States. These are simple, safe, and effective procedures and men are discovering their simplicity and success. Men have become dissatisfied with the “angry” and “concerned” look and understand that they don’t have to live with this. Botox® and fillers will soften these harsher aesthetic features for many men’s facial appearance. The common areas to be treated are the crow’s feet and glabellar furrows followed by the forehead area. Fillers are commonly placed in the nasolabial folds, marionette lines, and cheeks.
Blepharoplasty, eyelift or eyelid rejuvenation. Here too, the main internal male desire centers around a keen goal to rid themselves of the “worrying”, “concerned”, “angry”, and “tired” appearance that comes with aging of the upper and lower eyes. Blepharoplasty provides improvement in peripheral lateral vision as well as rejuvenation of the overall appearance of the periorbital area. Substantial improvement in youthfulness and energy comes with remedying the aging changes to the eyes. It becomes essential to rejuvenate the eyes particularly since they are understood to be the windows to the soul.
Body Liposuction. There is no question that liposuction has come to the forefront for the health conscious male baby boomer. Unfortunately, we are getting larger and larger (weight gain) as a country and for men, the love handles and gynecomastic breasts are the two of the most common areas to be treated. It is no longer embarrassing or taboo concern as has been felt previous. Even older men want to look better in their golden year as they reach retirement.
Face and Neck lift. Ahh, the telltale neck! Neck laxity, turkey gobbler, neck fullness, are hallmarks for overall aging. Like the Scarlet letter, the saggy neck and lower face stands out and tells the whole world that you are old. Internally healthy feeling men want to look the part of a healthy individual and it is just so very difficult to achieve this when you look in the mirror and simply see those significant sagging jowls and neck. More and more men come to the plastic surgeon for resolution of the sagging neck and jowl regions and in fact seek out a neck lift, mini-lift, or facelift.
Rhinoplasty (nose surgery). It is hard to avoid that central anatomic structure in the middle of face also known as the nose. Crookedness, deformity, contour irregularity, bony hump, etc., etc., are all distractions of the youthfulness and aesthetically pleasing characteristics of the individual. Finesse rhinoplasty renders an overall sense of better proportion, better aesthetic, and rids the nose of its distraction particularly when unusually large, or deformed. Men have become more self-conscious about their overall appearance and the nose plays central in many instances for this concern.
Chin augmentation. Many studies have reinforced that proper facial balance, facial harmony, and facial proportion are important for a well-desired aesthetic attractiveness. Particularly for men, strength of the cheek bones, nose, jaw, and chin are required for best aesthetics. Importantly a weak chin, which renders a man’s appearance also as weak, is often times deemed undesirable, particularly for men, and chin augmentation remedies this quite readily.
Brow lift. The sagging brows are of significant concern for many. Upper blepharoplasty often times does not remedy brow sagging (brow ptosis), which renders the facial appearance to be saddened or fatigued. Brow lifting can nicely achieve resolution of the drooping, and for individuals with male pattern baldness an upper blepharoplasty incision approach can be achieved which provides avoidance of a forehead or hairline incision.

David Santos MD FACS

Facial Beauty.com

Facial Aesthetic Surgery

425-227-4000

Bellevue WA