There remains a common misconception among the male population about cosmetic/plastic surgery that it is only for women, which makes many reluctant to even consider the benefits it comes with – or that is how it used to be. Latest statistics for the demand of cosmetic surgery procedures for men show that this belief may be slowly fading away and people are becoming more accepting and open about it. This change in perspective could be because people are more knowledgeable about the advantages and are no longer associating cosmetic surgery with just achieving beauty, or it could also be the huge influence of social media that is making people more obsessed with their self-image. Let’s look at some facts and figures to find out.
In 2014, International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) found that more than 2.5 million men had cosmetic surgery procedures, making up about 13.7% of the total patients. As the demand for cosmetic surgery procedures for men continues to grow every year, plastic surgeons have started providing services exclusively for men. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic surgery claimed that since 1997 there has been an increase of men opting for cosmetic surgery by 23% and they don’t expect the trend to fade away anytime soon. Most men were found to have opted for cosmetic surgery procedures mainly to compete for a new job or to compete with younger colleagues by appearing fit and marketable in the workplace. Blepharoplasty was found to be the most highly demanded cosmetic procedure among men by BAAPS with rhinoplasty and breast reduction ranking second and third.
“
It’s clear that the public of 2014 was after a refreshed or youthful appearance rather than more conspicuous alterations
”, said Michael Cadier, BAAPS President and a consultant plastic surgeon. We came across a very interesting classification done by a
Manhattan-based plastic surgeon
, Dr Douglas Steinbrech on Business Insider that does explain the rise in demand of cosmetic surgery procedures for men. He believes that cosmetic surgery procedures are becoming a very powerful tool by helping both men and women to achieve a more youthful appearance that in this day and age increases a person’s chances to ascend the career ladder. Just to be clear it is not beauty that we associate this competition with, but the early signs of ageing such as eye-bags and frown lines that make a person look tired all day long.
The four types of men Dr Steinbrech has identified include the ‘male model’, someone who desires an overall ripped appearance with defined abs, sharp jawline and masculine features. He lists procedures like jawline augmentation, hi-definition liposuction and pectoral implants as the most typical procedures this type of men would opt for. And then there is the ‘bodybuilder’ who desires similar features as the male model but with a more muscular built on top of that. This type of men may also want to opt for Gynecomastia (male breast reduction) to remove fatty tissues on the chest that steroids often cause.
The other two types of men, ‘CEO or broad member’ and the ‘athletic dad’, are identified by Dr Steinbrech as someone who only desires a refreshed appearance to look good and no obvious alterations. These type of men usually opt for procedures that give more subtle results such as neck-lift, liposuction, re-contouring. They are also giving rise to customised procedure packages solely for men and calling it the daddy do-overs, a male version of the mommy makeover.
Undoubtedly, the latest changes in trends correlate with the booming demand among men and are increasingly giving rise to new techniques in medical aesthetics. With the majority of the population greatly influenced by social media, self-obsession also plays a role in the rise of demand for cosmetic surgery procedures. These cosmetic surgery procedures are known to help enhance a person’s appearance without many obvious alterations. This is when the controversial question arises, is cosmetic surgery vanity or necessity?
Contact Centre for Surgery today to discuss available procedures for men.