Gone and good riddance are the days when cosmetic surgery was known strictly as a “ladies” game. Modern men have evolved to embrace both surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic procedures and treatments, and magically, society has evolved to not judge them for it. Viva evolution! In fact, more and more men are regularly investing in procedures that go beyond the basics of “manscaping” to include treatments that the fairer sex have been investing in for years. Injectables, facial rejuvenation and other nonsurgical procedures are increasingly being used by men to help stave off the fine lines and wrinkles, volume loss and stubborn fat pockets associated with age, lifestyle, gravity and genetics.
According to the latest statistics from the The Aesthetic Society—7.1% of all nonsurgical procedures and 7.6% of all surgical procedures performed in 2018 were sought out by male patients. And if those numbers fail to impress, consider that in that same year, Americans spent $8.4 billion (with a ‘b’) on plastic surgery. That 7-point-something-percent seems a touch more impressive now, no?
So let’s take a peek at the most popular nonsurgical procedures that male patients are opting for in 2018. Here we go.
Botox (or Dysport, Xeomin):
We like to imagine that any one of the 163,000 men who opted for a wrinkle-busting injectable like Botox in 2018 looked around one day and thought, “Hell, the 1.6+ million women using it can’t be wrong—and also look great, btw.” Whether that happened or not, that’s our segue into the single most popular nonsurgical treatment sought by men in 2018: neuromodulators (aka. Botox, Dysport, Xeomin). This triumvirate is easily the #1 injectable for women too, and it’s not hard to understand its genderless appeal. Botox and its compadres offer up quick, in-office answers to the unwanted wrinkles and lines that can give off the appearance of age, exhaustion, sadness and even anger. With little pain, risk and downtime, Botox can smooth a furrowed brow or “iron out” an ever deepening groove between the eyebrows. By blocking the nerve signals to the correspond muscles, Botox keeps the muscles involved in any repetitive facial expressions at bay, temporarily banishing the offending furrow/groove. And did we mention that botox can also help treat overactive sweat glands (sweaty handshake = ew), migraines and jaw-clenching? Yeah, all that too.
Hyaluronic Acid Dermal Fillers:
The popularity of hyaluronic acid fillers like Restylane, Juvederm, Voluma, and Bolotero continues to rise for both men and women, and with over 40,000 male patients opting for HA fillers in 2018, it’s clear that it’s not a phase. Men have twigged to the fact that injectable fillers are an effective way to fill age-related lines around the brows, mouth and eyes, and to replace lost volume in the lips, cheeks, jawline and even hands. Sure the effects are temporary (around 6-12 months), but the fact that these procedures come with little downtime, risk and near-immediate results all seem like icing on a very manly and attractive cake, no?
Nonsurgical Fat Reduction:
Another nonsurgical treatment that’s increasing in popularity among both men and women involve the nonsurgical fat reduction devices like CoolScuplting, Vaser Shape and Liposonix. These noninvasive body contouring treatments use heat (ultrasound) and cold (cryolipolysis) to damage the fat cells below the skin’s surface without injuring the top layer of skin. The damaged fat cells are then absorbed by the body and eventually eliminated. Nonsurgical fat reduction is typically performed in a series of treatments with results appearing between 1 to 2 months afterwards. (Sheesh... your body needs time to process, folks.) It's not as effective as the gold standard liposuction, but it is an effective, noninvasive and in-office way to reduce the appearance and even eliminate unwanted pockets of diet- and gym-resistant fat that might be lingering on the belly, hips, butt and thighs, and even on the chin and jawline.
Laser or Pulsed Light Hair Removal:
#4 on our male-centric list of 2018 popular procedures is an oldie but a goodie. It’s also one that I like to consider the “gateway” drug to the world of cosmetic treatments—laser hair removal The truth is that men get hair in all sorts of… um… interesting places—their backs, butts, hands, feet, ears, etc… Some men are hairier than others and some just aren’d into all that hair. Advances in laser hair removal and the arrival of improved equipment like the Ruby laser, Alexandrite laser, ND Yag laser, Diode laser and Intense Pulsed Light devices have made it so most men, regardless of skin type and hair texture and color, can successfully and safely remove unwanted hair. Your surgeon will evaluate your individual needs and will recommend a series of treatments that will permanently reduce or remove the hair. Treatments can take between 1-2 hours and with minimal risk, near to no downtime, and permanent results, it’s not hard to understand laser hair removal's popularity amongst men. If only there were a noninvasive device to treat that other male-related hair issue: hair loss. Am I right, gents?
Photo Rejuvenation/ IPL (Intense Pulsed Light):
And finally, #5 on our list: IPL or Intense Pulsed Light Most men have embraced the importance of a good skin care regime—or at least a moisturizer and sunscreen routine, but statistics are continuing to show that more men are embracing IPL as a nonsurgical and minimally invasive procedure to treat wrinkles and fine lines, age spots and other discolorations, melanoma and broken capillaries. In a 10-30 minute in-office procedure, your doctor can address uneven skin tone, sun spots, rosacea, scars and/or fine wrinkles that are interfering with your youthful (and very manly) vigor. IPL treatments are typically recommended in a series, and with limited healing time (1-2 days depending on the variables of the recommended treatment) and very little risk, it’s easy to see why men are embracing the benefits of this procedure.
Having a human body isn't a gender-specific event, folks—we all have one. For that matter, neither is aging. Which means that, regardless of the specifics of your gender, it could pay to discover what surgical and nonsurgical options are out there for treating what ails or fails ya'. A sit down with your board-certified plastic surgeon can help sort out what procedures and treatments that might be right for you.
