Male Plastic Surgery At An All-Time High: Why More Men Are Going Under The Knife

Male plastic surgery is booming on a global scale, with men making up 14% of all patients, according to data published at the IMCAS World Congress in Paris last year.

The American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reports that the number of cosmetic procedures performed on men has increased by over 325% since 1997, with surgeries such as liposuction and tummy tucks seen as a ‘quick fix’ for stubborn fat and other issues, according to Dr. Ruston Sanchez.

The heightened interest in beauty isn’t exclusive to men; in fact, the industry is currently worth over $20 billion and is predicted to rise to over $27 billion by 2019.

Why the fascination with surgery?

There are various factors at play when it comes to male interest in plastic surgery. The most obvious is increased life expectancy. Men are expecting to work for longer in their respective companies and industries, and are well aware of the link between appearance and perceptions of success. The selfie culture has also contributed to a growing interest in portraying oneself in an optimal fashion.

Finally, the industry has advanced by leaps and bounds technologically, enabling patients to enjoy optimal results yet feel secure about the safety of procedures. The plethora of non-surgical options has also increased exponentially. Thus, procedures such as ‘threading’ can delay or eliminate the need for a facelift. Non-surgical products such as Botox and fillers, meanwhile, are being used for ‘nose lifts’ and other procedures that could only be achieved in the past through surgery.

Most popular procedures for men

The most popular plastic surgery procedures include eyelid rejuvenation, which mainly targets saggy eyelids that ‘droop’ over the eye, lending the face a tired or ‘angry’ appearance. This procedure removes excess skin, leaving no visible scars since the scar is located in the natural fold of the eyelid. Also popular are neck lifts (to rid patients of a ‘double chin’), rhinoplasties (or ‘nose jobs’), chin augmentations (to lend the face more harmonious proportions), and tummy tucks (to remove fat and excess skin). Patients opting for liposuction or tummy tucks often complain that despite following a sound diet and exercising regularly, they can have stubborn tummy fat. Tucks or lipo are seen as a way to achieve the trim silhouette they are after.

Nouvelle procedures

A little more ‘out of the box’ are procedures such as penile enlargement. The latter is achieved in two ways. Increased girth is achieved through fat transfer. Length, meanwhile, can be slightly increased by releasing a ligament partially from its pubic bone attachment.

Non-surgical options

Non-surgical procedures such as fat freezing are proving successful at removing fat from almost anywhere in the body (such as double chins, waist fat, tummy fat) without the need for surgery. Known as a ‘lunchtime’ procedure, fat freezing requires no anesthetic. It lasts a couple of hours, during which men are free to check their phones or tablets or watch television. There is no pain or downtime involved and men can get to work immediately after the procedure.

Men are being more interested in plastic surgery for various reasons, one of the most important of which is increased safety and lower downtimes in the past. With a host of non-surgical options also available, men can also achieve excellent results without the need to go under the knife.The decision regarding which treatment to opt for should be well considered and made alongside a skilled, recommended surgeon.