A decade ago a trip to the plastic surgeon, for a nip here and a tuck there, was almost exclusively only taken by women, but more and more men are following suit, signing up for
procedures to look better and boost their confidence. They are not hiding the fact either, with recent figures from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery showing that since 1997 there has been a 106% increase in cosmetic surgery procedures performed on men in the US.
The 2012 figures show that Rhinoplasty and Eyelid Surgery are the top procedure for men, with Breast Reduction and Facelifts strongly rising, up 5% and 6% respectively from 2011.
According to Dr Steve Merten, Aussie blokes opting for plastic surgery now make up about 15 per cent of patients and this figure is set to continue rising. A combination of medical, technological, economic and societal factors, including ageing populations, and greater acceptance of men having plastic surgery is contributing to the increase.
And it’s not just the older men that are coming in to freshen up their appearance! Young men too are presenting at clinics for cosmetic procedures prompted by multiple factors, such as celebrities like David Beckham, Brad Pitt, and Zac Efron making it cool to be a modern man who cares about his appearance. On the technical front, advances in anaesthetic and surgical techniques, have made many procedures available with reduced recovery times which allows men to get back to work and normal activities much more quickly.
So what procedures are men having?
“Man boob” jobs
In Australia, breast reduction surgery, a procedure to remove excess breast tissue and fat, to correct man boobs, or “moobs” as they are also known, is the fastest growing cosmetic operation according to plastic surgeon. For some men this procedure is done to correct a condition known as gynaecomastia that results in fatty deposits developing around the chest during puberty. These often disappear with age however, for some, they remain into adulthood often causing embarrassment.
Excess weight or weight loss and ageing can also cause the male chest to look large and saggy. According to Dr Merten the increase in male breast reduction is a result of greater awareness and acceptance of cosmetic surgery and coverage of celebrities and politicians with “moobs”.
Nose jobs
Also called a rhinoplasty, the nose job was one of the first cosmetic procedures to become widely accepted among men and continues to be one of the most popular procedures.
Cosmetic eyelid surgery
Eyelid surgery or blepharoplasty to remove eye bags and/or lift the eye is another popular procedure for men wishing to appear younger than their years. It is also appropriate to correct droopy eyelids causing interference with vision. Sagging eyelids resulting in premature ageing can be from the stresses of everyday life, too much sun, smoking and even some hereditary factors.
Facelifts
The facelift is also getting more and more popular, with the goals much the same as women, to remove excess facial fat and skin and tighten underlying muscle and tissue.
Non-surgical procedures
Men getting non-surgical treatments are on the rise too! ASPS 2012 figures show a 7% increase in anti-wrinkle injections from 2011 and Dermal Fillers making the top 5 minimally invasive procedures.
For more information on cosmetic and plastic surgery procedures, please call us at Pure Aesthetics on 9252 9262, or Contact Us for an appointment to see our Sydney Plastic Surgeon, Dr Steve Merten.
