Cosmetic Surgery and Men
It’s not uncommon for a man to look in the mirror and realise that something needs to change with their looks. For some, it’s ears that are out of proportion to their heads. For others, it's the forehead lines that have become unacceptable. What about those extra inches on your waist that you don’t really need? How about the jowls, the blotches, the receding hairline? So sit back and read our primer on cosmetic surgery for men.
Some may consider these imperfections as trophy marks of experience that we all have. But who really wants to carry these sorts of trophy marks? Many men these days are taking a new look at their physical appearance and start to consider Cosmetic surgery. Whilst relative costs have fallen in recent years, cosmetic surgery can still take a big chunk of your savings.
According to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, the number of men who currently turn to cosmetic surgery is at the 10% level. Whilst not an earth-shattering statistic considering the availability and affordability of plastic surgery, it reflects a considerable number of men who wish to have a little “work” done on themselves.
It seems that people currently prefer to enhance what they already have or to make minor tweaks, rather than opting for a radical overhaul. Unless, of course, they are a ‘drug lord' on the run from the authorities!
What is indisputable is that with the increasing competition in the workplace, men nowadays have an increasing desire to look good for their age. Suggesting that more middle aged men want surgery to be done on their eyelids whilst removing fat from the chest area is more common among younger men.
As you may be thinking of getting some cosmetic surgery, it’s best to get sufficient information to make wise decisions. We have researched the basic facts that you need to know as you consider making this important decision. Here below, we’ll give you a basic idea of procedures, and what you can expect as a result of the surgery.
What Should You Know Before Starting?
Cosmetic procedure in itself is risky. Even the smallest enhancement to the most drastic procedure, they all are risky. Therefore before you even think about any sort of cosmetic surgery for men you should do your research and also consult a professional or a surgeon in this line of work.
Save Face, the national register for the professionals that carry out fillers and botox, shows us that there has been a spike in the number of complaints that they are receiving from the botched procedures. They’ve started a campaign to tackle these complaints against the failed procedures.
Here are two factors you need to know if you are considering getting your surgery done. Firstly, the cost of making changes if you are not happy with the results of the surgery. Secondly the experience of the surgeon and how long he has specialised in the area that concerns you.
Increasingly there are more people considering getting their surgeries or treatments done overseas, especially hair transplants. Some of the commonly visited countries are India and Turkey. Though the percentage of people seeking to get their procedures done overseas have increased at about 150 per cent, it is highly important for you to consider and thoroughly think about your aftercare requirements. This is as vital for cosmetic surgery for men as it is for women.
Common Procedures
Rhinoplasty (Nose Job)
In the UK there are over a thousand Rhinoplasty or nose job surgeries that take place. We also see a trend where this is getting more and more common among men in the UK.
Why Get it Done?
There are many reasons for why men seek Rhinoplasty or nosejobs. They vary from being unhappy with the way their nose is, to wanting to correct their broken nose which happened because of an accident or in particular a sports accident.
How Does it Work ?
This is one of the most straightforward surgeries that leaves no scars behind. This is because the surgery is done inside the nose through which they access the bones or the cartilages. The surgeon usually adds a tissue or removes a part of the bone or cartilage to give it a new shape or structure. This cosmetic surgery for men can change the overall size and shape of the nose.
This is a short surgery that lasts typically for two hours. This also requires local anesthesia and an overnight stay in the hospital following the surgery. Though this is a short procedure that yields good results, the effects of the surgery can linger on.
Any bruising that occurs from the surgery differs from each individual, for some it will last about 10 days and some might only experience mild redness following the surgery. Apart from all this, it might take up to a year to see the final results of the surgery.
The cost of the surgery can vary depending upon where you chose to do it at and also the exact procedure that you require, but the cost can be anywhere from £3,500- £6,000.
Hair Transplant
With former Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney talking about his experience with the surgery, hair transplant surgery suddenly became popular. The market is potentially immense with 30% of the under 45s having a receding hairline. . Dr. Medispa clinic in London, Essex, for example, handle about about 750 procedures every year with cheaper clinics in Turkey and India handling thousands more.
Why Do I Need it?
While there are many young men who are able to accept or embrace the changes in their appearance, there are many for whom a hair transplant is seen as a seductive option. . Male self-esteem seems to lie at the core of this and men do report that self-esteem improves after the procedure..
How? is it Done?
The most common form of the hair transplant treatment is the Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE). One of the reasons why this is popular is because it is not as tedious as the previously used methods. In this procedure, hair is removed from the back or side of your head and is implanted usually at the required area. This was the procedure opted for by Wayne Rooney.
This surgery requires local anesthesias and takes approximately 8 hours. This is most commonly priced at about £10,000 in the UK. Turkish and Indian clinics will be far cheaper and may also include a nice tourism package to go with it. This procedure is rather simple as it lacks any major invasion and therefore does not leave a scar behind.
Because the amount of hair loss corresponds with the amount of money that is spent on the treatment, We suggest that it is wise to seek treatment for hair loss before it is too late as this can cost you more than is necessary.
It is also important to understand that one procedure will not erase the problem of hair loss that one is facing. For a person with a genetic predisposition towards hair loss, multiple procedures are required as time passes. We also know Rooney has currently undergone two treatments. But if you want to look younger, this is a cosmetic surgery for men that you can certainly consider.
Beard Transplant
Once the craze for hipster beards came in, it was a period of great melancholy to those men who were not able to keep up with this fashion. Therefore we see that the popularity of facial hair and the value associated with it has set the beard transplant procedure on an increasing trajectory of popularity.
In 2014 WhatClinic.com polls showed us that the enquiries about a beard transplant rose to about 72%. It was also seen that along with this, there was a 21% growth in enquiries about pubic hair transplant. Our own research at bestcosmeticsurgeons.com reinforce the growing popularity of this treatment.
Why?
One of the reasons why this procedure became more popular over time is because it is a long term fix. You can choose for a transplant if you do not have any facial hair, or if you have a little fuzz and want a thickened beard.
How Does it Work?
This procedure is similar to the Follicular Unit Extraction where hair is extracted from the back of the head or from the body and planted to another area where they need it the most. It has been estimated that for a full beard an individual would require about 4,000 transplants and for a goatee one would require about 1,500 transplants. This transplant is not only time consuming, it is also expensive as it can cost anywhere from £3,000 to £ 6,000. The final results of the procedure will take several months to show but it will look as real as possible with the least scarring.
As a ‘beardie' myself I would point out that maintenance is an ongoing cost and cool high st salons will take £30.00 for a beard trim.
Liposuction and the Fat Free Dream
The popularity of this procedure comes from the fact that, there is some fat in your body that acts as a cover over the muscle thereby stopping you from having the body that you have been dreaming of and working for. This procedure is aimed at hitting the fat that you find hard to shred even with the strictest training and diet. So if you want that perfect shop window for your six pack then liposuction should be on your todo list.
How Does it Work?
In this procedure, the stubborn fat that you wish to get rid off is sucked out of your body using a tube. Our recent article on the topic will give you masses of detail and ideal locations for a bit of fancy tourism whilst the surgeon does his stuff.
Liposuction is a gentle, less invasive procedure that can be used to remove fat from specific regions like neck, chin and abdomen. In this procedure, fat is broken up by using ultrasound which also ensures that the tissue surrounding this area is not damaged. Local anaesthesia is given in order to remove the fat from a small tube and mostly takes less than an hour for this procedure.
Since this process removes fat by leaving the surrounding tissues intact, the skin in that area tends to retract to its original state after the procedure leaving less pain and bruising which is commonly associated with fat removal.
Blepharoplasty (Eyelid Surgery)
This procedure is commonly done among men in their middle age to get rid of the droopy eyes or the baggy eyes. You can try to cover up the bags with male cosmetics but at a moment you will realise that a little delicate surgery might be required. We have written in depth on the topic as blepharoplasty is a very popular cosmetic procedure and amazing techniques have been developed to cater for the fashion amongst Asian clients to ‘westernise' their eyelids. This wealth of experience should enable you to find a great surgeon to do the work for you.
What Can it achieve?
The eyelids are notorious for giving men an ageing look. So think of it a a total refresh for your look that will help you shed years from your face.
It approximately takes about one to three hours with a recovery window of one week and can cost anywhere from £3,000 and above.
However, if the tired appearance is because of the overall features of the face like dark circles, sunken cheeks, loss of the jawline, etc. then the Blepharoplasty alone will not fix the issue. we suggest that these individuals should seek treatment that will help in lifting and tightening the whole face and eyes.
Otoplasty (Ear Pinning)
Ear correction or otoplasty is now a popular procedure among men in Britain as there is about 1 in 20 men that cannot ignore the fact that their ears are sticking out. This is a relatively simple procedure through which the cartilage at the back of the ear is re-shaped and put in a position where it will be closer to the head.
Should I Get it Done?
Two of the most common reasons why men are now considering otoplasty is because either they want to correct the effects of an accident, or they are not happy with the position that their ear is sitting, or the shape of their ears. There are, of course, famous people such as Prince Charles who live very happily with sick out ears. Our article on Otoplasty will give you very specific details and also our recommended clinics and surgeons.
How?
A small incision is made at the back of the ear, in a place where scarring would be less visible. through this incision, the exposed cartilage is trimmed and given a new shape so that it can assume a new normal position.
This procedure is normally done within an hour and requires local anesthesia and can cost anywhere from £3,500 above. Though this procedure yields good results, over time the results may change because of the inherent change in the cartilage.
One of the downsides of this procedure is that wearing a headband for a week is a must and therefore make sure that you have enough holiday time owing you to avoid going to work looking like that.
Botox and ‘Baby Botox'
Botox has been an available cosmetic surgery for men since 2002. It effectively removes the lines that age brings to our skin. Now 20 years on, it is still considered as an effective procedure to tackle the effects of age on our skin.
Is it For Me?
This surgery has become highly popularised in the tabloid and celebrity press in recent years where famous TV stars such as Simon Cowell have used Botox to stay looking youthful in front of the cameras.
How?
Using a toxin that is used to cause paralysis to reduce the lines and wrinkles on one's face might sound absurd to us, this is known to yield great results. In this procedure, botox blocks the signals between the nerve and the muscle thereby not allowing the muscle to contract and making the frown lines less obvious than otherwise.
One of the reasons why this procedure has gained a lot of popularity is because this does not require anaesthesia and the downtime after the procedure is less compared to other cosmetic procedures.
It takes about 3 to 7 days to see the full results and headaches may occur within 24-48 hours. The cost of each session can range from about £150 to £350 and the effects of botox lasts for about 4 to 6 months and therefore can become an expensive look to maintain. For a more subtle look without the risk of a ‘frozen' expression you could also consider a more diluted for of the toxin marketed as ‘baby botox'.
Botulinum Toxin (Excessive Sweating Treatment) (a ‘Prince Andrew')
The scientific name for Botox is Botulinum and is used to smooth out the lines on one's face as well as to block the sweat glands of a person suffering from Hyperhidrosis also known as excessive sweating. There are about 3 percent of the UK population that suffer from excessive sweating. I am going to put my head and journalistic reputation on the line and predict that this treatment will soon be called ‘having a Prince Andrew' after Andrew's rather dodgy comments on his inability to sweat due to traumatic shock.
How Does it work?
Botox is used to block the signals from passing from the nerve to the muscle, Botulinum similarly is used to block any over-stimulative communication that happens between the brain and the sweat glands in the body. Usual areas of excessive sweating are armpits, feet and hands, but for some it might also be their back and forehead.
The procedure usually lasts about 30 to 40 minutes and the number of injections given in the affected area vary depending on the severity of the conditions. As many as 20 injections or more are given in the area of need. The results from this procedure last for several months. I will interested to check and see if any of the clinics offering this service show a royal warrant on their websites.
Gynaecomastia Surgery (Male Breast Reduction)
A flabby chest is not pleasing to the eye especially if you are someone that loves wearing t-shirts. The factors that contribute to this are not just the lack of an effective diet or exercise, but breast-boosting hormones do also account for this. This operation is a standard offering on all cosmetic surgery websites since breast operations are a very popular and well practised procedure for women. Expertise in male breast surgery has also developed considerably with MTF (male to female) and FTM (female to male) gender transitions. Reducing ‘moobs' is very popular for men who are gym enthusiasts who have also dabbled in hormone drugs which have annoying side effects
How Does it Work?
The Gynaecomastia Surgery is the best solution for those who are looking to remove the excess breast tissue that is stopping them from getting their chiselled chest.
The BAAPS shows us that there was a 13 per cent hike in the breast reduction surgery in 2015.
In this procedure tissue is removed from the breast or chest area and is usually transferred to other parts of the body like ones biceps and triceps.
Typically, an incision is made around the areola, through which the excess fatty tissues are removed. Liposuction can be used in this process if there is a large amount of fat that has to be removed, along with this, the nipples will be repositioned if there is a need for it.
Once the surgery is done, you would need a full week’s rest where you should not lift weights and hold off from any chest exercises for a month. It is also recommended that you take a week off from your work.
Sexual Enhancement Surgery for Men
No article on male cosmetic surgery for men would be complete without a visit to the ‘trouser department' where miracles are said to work. The jury is still out on what can be achieved but there has been some success with Penuma which is the only penis enlargement surgery cleared for commercial use under the Food and Drug Administration’s regulations. The device is FDA-cleared for cosmetic enhancement. So does it work? can Penuma give a man a larger penis?
How does it Work?
The Penuma is a crescent-shaped piece of medical-grade silicone inserted under your penis skin to make your penis longer and wider. It’s provided in three sizes: large, extra-large, and extra-extra-large.
The tissues that give your penis its shape are composed largely of two types:
- Corpus cavernosa: two cylindrical pieces of tissue that run parallel to each other along the top of your penis
- Corpus spongiosum: one cylindrical piece of tissue that runs along the bottom of your penis and surrounds your urethra, where urine comes out
Your Penuma device will be designed to fit your specific penis shape. It’s inserted into your shaft over the corpus cavernosa, like a sheath.
This is done through an incision in your groin area just above the base of your penis. The device stretches the penis skin and tissues to make your penis look and feel larger.
How Much Does it Cost and Where Can I get it ?
The procedure has an out-of-pocket cost of about $15,000 with an upfront $1,000 deposit. Which makes it a costly cosmetic surgery for men but I do not imagine that will put some people off. Penuma is currently not covered by insurance, and not cleared to treat erectile dysfunction.
James Elist, MD, FACS, FICS, of Beverly Hills, California, founded the procedure. He’s currently one of the only two certified practitioners.
So if you are going to increase your natural endowment you will probably want the whole area to look at its best and if the scrotum is looking rather dishevelled you might be a candidate for a Scrotoplasty. So how does that happen then?
This might be a cosmetic surgery for men that many of us have not heard much about. This isn’t some kind of hoax, but rather a significant surgery for men who are concerned about their slack scrotums. These are not necessarily the same guys who go for ‘sack and crack' waxing at the spa but also those who have had cancer in that region and want to it to be more aesthetically pleasing.
In this procedure excess skin is taken out from the scrotum, following which the muscles are rejoined at the seam area to reduce the scarring from scrotoplasty.
This procedure takes around 90 minutes and the patients are most likely able to leave the clinic the same day which is also accounted for by the local anaesthesia that is given.
There is no concrete data regarding the use of this procedure by men, but it is understood that it is almost the same as women who seek labial reduction through surgery. It was also seen that in the year 2016 the enquiries about this procedure had increased about 169 percent.
So there we are then, a primer on what is available for the male of the species to look his best from the top of his head to the ‘jewels in his crown'.
Admin is Blogger David Miller FRSA. M.Sc A respected British journalist based in Helsinki Finland. David's portfolio is at http://livewire.pressfolios.com/ David is contactable via the site or at david@dmiller.co.uk
