Plastic Surgery and cosmetic treatments designed to restore or maintain a youthful look were once associated primarily with women. While much marketing and promotion of aesthetic procedures has targeted female clientele in the past, practitioners and advertisers are becoming savvy to the fact that men seek non-surgical procedures to maintain their appearance more often nowadays and are fast becoming a growing market.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons published a statistics report in 2013 which showed that men now make up 8% of the total of non-surgical cosmetic patients. The same report showed that men accounted for over 1 million minimally invasive procedures in 2013.
Some reasons for the growing popularity of these procedures among the male population may be the increased competition for older men in the professional workforce who wish to look as youthful and vibrant as possible. As well, many middle-aged and older men are re-entering the dating scene and with the advent of online dating and a profile-pic based paradigm, these furrows, facial lines, and sagging skin are becoming a number one priority to fix.
COMMON NON-SURGICAL TREATMENTS FOR MEN
Botox or other neuromodulators such as Xeomin and Dysport. These are the trade names for botulinum toxin A and they are generally used to relax facial muscles and smooth lines or wrinkles where dynamic expression and muscle movement create them. Men’s faces generally have a heavier brow, and some lines, such as crow’s feet around the eyes, are commonly thought to add character to the male face. Deep set frown lines, horizontal forehead lines or lowered brows can make a person appear older than they are, tired and angry. Many men wish to elevate their brow slightly, smooth the deeper expression furrows and crow’s feet, while still maintaining normal facial expression and a natural look.Dermal fillers can also be complimentary to Botox for the face. Dermal fillers such as Juvederm, which is hyaluronic acid based, are natural, temporary fillers injected into areas where fullness is desired such as the cheeks, the laugh lines and lips. Generally, facial fillers will consist of calcium hydroxyapatite, (Radiesse) or hyaluronic acid, (Restylane, Juvederm, Voluma, etc.) Men who get facial fillers to smooth away lines and restore facial volume can receive treatments conveniently over a lunch break as each appointment typically takes approximately 30 minutes and involve minimal pain or downtime. Any minor bruising or swelling in sensitive areas such as the lips will usually settle within 2 days. Facial injectable treatments should be provided by a qualified, experienced physician or board certified Plastic Surgeon.Another non-surgical procedure men seek is laser hair removal. While many women will undergo this treatment for underarms, bikini line and legs, more often male patients seek laser hair removal for back and chest where the latest fashion trend is to have minimal or no hair. Delivering pulses of intense light to hair follicles destroys them and kills the hair.
Sessions are typically 30-60 minutes and multiple treatments may be required to see full results because hairs are in different stages of growth cycle during each treatment. Just like women, men have caught on that fussing with expensive, time consuming and less efficient means of hair removal is no longer necessary.
And lastly, facial treatments to brighten the complexion such as microneedling and chemical peels have become popular for male clients in recent years as well. As self-care and grooming becomes more commonly talked about and these procedures are promoted by celebrities and family or friends, many guys are enjoying the benefits of non-invasive cosmetic facial procedures and maintaining a vibrant, youthful appearance for longer. The cosmetic industry is getting on board with more advertising and promotion for men than ever before.
